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Covid-19 pandemic: Omicron likely to protect against Delta infections

Global Covid-19 cases hit a daily record on Monday

nasal swab, Covid-19, Omicron, Covid Testing
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A nasal swab test being performed in Los Angeles, California. The WHO warned that the Omicron variant could lead to overwhelmed healthcare systems (Photo: Reuters)

Agencies
Infection with the Omicron coronavirus variant can also strengthen immunity against the earlier Delta strain, reducing the risk of severe disease, according to a paper released by South African scientists. 

While Omicron has been shown to be highly transmissible and can evade some antibodies, after two weeks of getting symptoms immunity to subsequent infections from the strain rose 14-fold, according to the authors led by Alex Sigal and Khadija Khan of the Durban, South Africa-based Africa Health Research Institute. A smaller improvement was found against Delta, they said. 

“If we are lucky, Omicron is less pathogenic, and this immunity will help push

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