Scientists identify antibodies that might neutralise Omicron

During a recent study, an international team of scientists identified antibodies that neutralise Omicron and other SARS-CoV-2 variants.These antibodies target areas of the virus spike protein that remain essentially unchanged as the viruses mutate. The study's findings were published in the journal Nature.The omicron variant has 37 mutations in the spike protein which it uses to latch onto and invade cells. This is an unusually high number of mutations. It is thought that these changes explain in part why the variant has been able to spread so rapidly, to infect people who have been vaccinated and to re-infect those who have previously been infected. Antibodies from people who had been infected, recovered and then had two doses of the vaccine also had reduced activity, but the reduction was less, about fivefold, clearly demonstrating that vaccination after infection is useful.