There is increasing evidence that the Northern Hemisphere could experience an increase in COVID-19-related COVID-19 patients this fall/winter. Scientists believe that many cases could have been caused by behavior and immune-evasion changes, as well as declining immunity.
Nature discusses factors that could cause a spike and what countries can do to minimize the impact of Omicron-targeting vaccinations.
Is There a Covid-19 Wave This Autumn and Winter?
The COVID-19 Scenario Modelling Hub was a collaborative effort that presented several scenarios for the United States in mid-August. The models revealed that the United States could experience a relatively calm COVID-19 season if booster campaigns are initiated quickly and no new variants are not developed. A significant rise in cases was not possible even with the new variant.
Justin Lessler, UNC Chapel Hill, is the modeler. He stated that hospitalizations have been in line with the projections for over a month. There could be other factors that are contributing to the problem. Lessler says boosters, which are intended to attack Omicron and the original SARS virus CoV-2 strain, have taken a while to get out.
Omicron may be creating new immune-dodging species through subtle signs. Lessler stated, “It could lead to some rises in autumn and winter months.” Jennifer Nuzzo (Brown University, Rhode Island), an epidemiologist, says that certain states already experience an increase in cases.
The SARS-CoV-2 Infection survey, which is the gold standard in COVID data for the United Kingdom, showed an increase in COVID-19 case numbers in England and Wales, compared to previous reports. Although it is still quite low, the number of people in Britain with SARS-CoV-2 continues to grow.
Research shows that there are many immune-dodging options available. These options will cause an autumn-winter surge.
Increased Numbers
According to Tom Wenseleers (an evolutionary biologist at the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium), it is extremely unlikely. SARS-CoV-2 is on the rise due to a decline in immunity from previous infections. This pandemic affects more people than ever.
Health officials claim that many countries’ social dynamics have almost returned to pre-pandemic levels. This is true even for the United Kingdom. Other respiratory viruses can thrive in cooler months. This could be because of more indoor time.
Are there any Omicron strains in development for this fall?
Tom Peacock is a virologist at Imperial College London. He says that SARS-CoV-2-watchers monitor a remarkable number of variants across many branches of the Omicron family. These variants come from different ancestries but share many of the same mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins (the virus the immune system targets). Peacock says, “Clearly there is an optimal way for a variation to look going into Season.”
Wenseleers stated that “I am quite certain at least one variant or a combination thereof” will cause a new epidemic wave. This is because they act in the exact same way, so it doesn’t really matter what one becomes the next big thing.
Two words: immune escape. Multiple variants of spike protein are being studied by researchers. These variants all have multiple overlapping changes to the receptor binding domain. These are the most powerful targets for infected-blocking antibodies. Yunlong Richard Cao, an immunologist from Beijing’s Peking University. Multiple viruses may be developing the same spike mutations, according to him. This is a major advantage for spreading the virus.
Cao and his coworkers evaluated the ability of new varieties to evade neutralizing antibodies from vaccinations and previous infections with other variants. BQ.1.1, a member of the BQ.1 familia was the most immune-evasive.
They were able to evade most of the neutralizing antibodies that could be elicited from infection with BA.5. Although they were effective against BA.2 & BA.5, two anti-omicron drugs are not as effective against emerging Omicron subvariants. Peacock was part of a team that came to similar conclusions regarding BA.2.75.2. Cao believes there is an amazing degree of immune escape at the moment.
How Big Are the Autumn-Winter Waves in
Based on preliminary estimates, Wenseleers believes that the size of the autumn-winter waves in Australia will be comparable to those in Brazil. This includes the impact on infection rates. It is difficult to predict the future of hospitalizations.
Research suggests that admissions may be lower because of the increased immunity to vaccinations and previous infections. This effect is not known. Lessler says that even though it is a different story in 2020 and 2021 there would still be an increase in hospitalizations and deaths.
Hospitals could be affected by even a mild COVID-19 outbreak. They are already facing backlogs and other conditions that place a significant burden on the winter healthcare system. Influenza, which was not detected in the Northern Hemisphere during the last two winters is expected to return this year. There are fears that there could be a double influenza epidemic and COVID-19. Lessler says that hospitals can become very stressed during bad flu seasons.
What are your thoughts on the new vaccines?
Bivalent vaccine boosters may provide some protection from new variants of infection. Scientists warn that this protection may not last for long. Scientists believe that bivalent vaccines are based on an Omicron subvariant, BA.1 in Britain and BA.5 in the United States.
There is evidence that vaccines may increase Omicron-specific neutralizing antibody production. These antibodies are used to identify the virus that gave rise to the vaccines. Cao suggests that boosters may be required to produce high levels of Omicron-specific neutralizing antibodies.
There is overwhelming evidence that COVID-19 vaccines prevent severe diseases. Nuzzo believes this should be the primary goal of all winter/autumn booster programs. This means that booster programs should be targeted at those most vulnerable to severe diseases such as seniors or people with underlying conditions. She stated, ” We must focus on a laser beam to protect against severe illness.”