Breakthrough infections have 'huge benefits'? Research: Strengthening the immune system can help fight against various mutant viruses
Are there benefits to breakthrough infections? Research: Increased ability to fight against other virus variants
The mutant virus Omicron spreads rapidly, and confirmed cases of “breakthrough infection” are frequently reported in various countries. However, a recent study on breakthrough infections found that post-vaccination infection with the COVID-19 virus may strengthen the immune system and increase protection against new variants of the virus.
Regarding breakthrough infections with COVID-19 variant viruses, current data show that infected people may face long-term sequelae, and may still have fatigue, gastrointestinal symptoms, cognitive dysfunction, etc. months after infection.
A small study of 26 cases of breakthrough infection after receiving 2 doses of the Pfizer vaccine found that 24 cases only developed mild symptoms after infection, and neutralizing antibodies capable of attaching to the virus were isolated from the serum of these infected people. Stop viruses from infecting cells. The team compared the serum of infected persons with the control group and found that the serum of breakthrough infected persons was more able to neutralize mutant viruses such as Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta. However, Omicron, which has caused the most recent epidemics, was not included in the trial.
Study co-author Marcel Curlin, a professor at Oregon Health & Science University, said that the sera of patients who developed breakthrough infections after vaccination have been found in different trials to have better immunity that can help fight other mutant viruses. The blood of people with breakthrough infections contains more antibodies that latch on to the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the viral spike protein, which is considered the most critical antibody in neutralizing the coronavirus.
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Breakthrough infection 10 times more resistant to Delta virus? Experts: Virus will gradually become less destructive
The research report pointed out that from the antibody neutralization test, it was found that the serum of breakthrough infection cases was 950% more effective against the original COVID-19 virus and 1021% more effective against the Delta virus. Among them, the serum of patients infected with Delta virus after vaccination has stronger anti-variant efficacy. This shows that developing additional vaccines against different variants of the virus can help expand the immune response of the vaccine against the virus.
Professor Curlin pointed out that although it currently appears that breakthrough infection after vaccination will cause a more effective response, the protective effect of the vaccine itself is still the key. If you are infected without vaccination, the immune response will vary from person to person, but the protection is significantly lower than that of vaccinated people.
Curlin believes that this research is good news for the future. As more and more people are vaccinated and human immunity against COVID-19 gradually increases, the virus may persist and cause infections, but the severity and destructiveness of and the ability to spread quickly will be reduced.
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Source:
Antibody Response and Variant Cross-Neutralization After SARS-CoV-2 Breakthrough Infection
