To protect against each strain of coronavirus, a different amount of antibodies is needed. If their number is known for the “delta” strain, then for “omicron” no one found out the protective titer,” Alexander Gintsburg, head of the Gamaleya Center, said in an interview with the head of the Gamaleya Center. To determine it, additional research is needed, the academician believes. The issue became relevant after the Ministry of Health issued an order to receive a QR code in the presence of antibodies. This can be done starting February 21st. From February 21, according to a new order of the Ministry of Health, Russians will be able to receive a QR code if they have antibodies. However, how many antibodies are needed for protection to be considered complete is again unknown, since a new Omicron strain has arrived, and the number of protective antibodies needs to be recalculated, virologists say.
“Nobody counted the antibody titer against the omicron,” Alexander Gintsburg, head of the Gamaleya Center, said in an interview with the head of the Gamaleya Center. — I haven't seen any experimental data. No such studies have been carried out at our institute either. Still complicated by the fact that the "omicron" is rapidly changing. But, of course, new information on antibodies is needed.”
Earlier academician, referring to a joint study of the Center. N.F. Gamaleya and the Moscow Health Department, said that 300 units of antibodies completely protect against infection with the "delta" strain of coronavirus. Gunzburg specified that this is an international measurement standard approved by the World Health Organization (WHO). It is called the First WHO International Standard for anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulin (human), with the BAU unit of measurement being "binding antibody units".
According to him, 300 BAU were enough to protect against the "delta", and the maximum level of protection is considered to be 500 units of antibodies and above.
But the new strain "omicron" is very different from the "delta" both in its mutations and in the nature of the disease caused by it. This requires a recalculation of the protective level of antibodies, for which new studies are needed. I agree with Gunzburg and the head of the Department of Virology, Faculty of Biology, Moscow State University. M.V. Lomonosova Olga Karpova.
“Undoubtedly, new studies need to be carried out, since the protective titer for each strain was different, these data were cited by WHO,” she said. – We need to look at the virus-neutralizing ability of people who have either been ill or have been vaccinated with different vaccines. But taking into account the peculiarities of infection with "omicron", which for the most part does not lead to a severe course of the disease, I do not consider this a priority. I think that if there is a level of antibodies that are considered to be protective for the "delta", we can consider this person protected from the "omicron", - said Olga Karpova.
If you try to find out the protective level of antibodies for "omicron", you need to study secreted IgA antibodies that protect the nasal and oral mucosa, - says Pavel Volchkov, head of the MIPT genomic engineering laboratory.
“I think that QR codes should be given to those people who are in the group of significant differences from those who have not recovered from the coronavirus,” the virologist believes. - It is also important to note that with a long course of the disease, a person produces more antibodies than with a short and mild course. With "omicron" in most cases, the infection is local, there is no systemic lung damage, and it would be strange to expect a large number of antibodies. Therefore, a direct comparison with the “delta” would be wrong.”
On the portal of legal information on February 8, an order of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation was published. The document amends annexes 3 and 4 of the order of the Ministry of Health 1053 dated November 12, 2021 “On approval of the form of medical documentation “Certificate of preventive vaccinations against a new coronavirus infection (COVID-19)…”. The amendments come into force on February 21.
A new section will appear in this document, “Information on positive test results for the presence of antibodies (immunoglobulin G) to the causative agent of novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19)”. According to the order of the Ministry of Health, from February 21, residents of Russia will be able to receive a certificate and a QR code if they have antibodies to the coronavirus.
Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova reported that the validity of a QR code for antibodies would be 6 months. On February 8, the Ministry of Health once again confirmed the same date.
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