Health & Fitness
New Columbia Study Finds Omicron 'Markedly Resistant' To Vaccine
The study released on Wednesday says that natural antibodies from previously getting the virus are also not as effective against omicron.
MORNINGSIDE HEIGHTS, NY — A new study from Columbia University says the COVID-19 omicron variant is "markedly resistant" to vaccines, antibody treatments, and that booster shots possibly provide only limited protection against the virus.
The study, led by renowned researcher Dr. David Ho, has not been reviewed by other experts or edited by a scientific journal.
“We found (omicron) to be markedly resistant to neutralization in individuals vaccinated with one of the four widely used COVID-19 vaccines," reads the study.
Find out what's happening in Upper West Sidewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center released the study on Wednesday, which has shifted its focus to combating COVID.
Here are some of the main takeaways from the study:
Find out what's happening in Upper West Sidewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
- Antibody therapies that have been effective in neutralizing previous COVID waves appear to be much less effective against omicron.
- Natural antibodies from previous infections are not as effective at fighting off omicron.
- The study still suggests getting vaccinated and the booster shots to obtain some protection against omicron.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
