Can a booster shot stop the omicron variant? That is is the question answered by this paper. This research is essential because it is a clinical investigation, and what happened to people is better than a laboratory simulation between antibodies and pseudotyped (assembled) viruses. That’s because there is more to the immune system than measuring antibodies and T-cells separately.
The study, Omicron outbreak at a private gathering in the Faroe Islands, infecting 21 of 33 triple-vaccinated healthcare workers, summarizes the findings in the title.
The Faroe Islands is between Iceland and Norway, and the Pfizer BNT162b2 vaccine is the only vaccine used there. 74.6% of the population has been vaccinated two times, and 13.6% three times.
The paper reports a super-spreading event where 21 of 33 healthcare workers were infected with the Omicron variant after attending a social gathering in early December 2021, even though all infected participants had been vaccinated three times and had a recent negative test.
All infected participants were fully vaccinated with the mRNA vaccine BNT162b2 (Pfizer – Comirnaty; BioNTech) and had received a third booster dose within the last two and a half months, and none had a history of previous SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Thirteen samples from the gathering, and an additional four from the extended transmission chain, have been verified as the Omicron variant through targeted sequencing.
Mild Symptoms
All infected participants had a negative test taken within 36 hours before the gathering. All positive cases had symptoms. The most common symptoms were muscle and joint pain, fatigue, and fever, while the least common symptoms were loss of taste and smell.
Those symptoms were consistent with a previous report in COVID-19 Symptoms in the Vaccinated and Unvaccinated.
No one needed hospital admission.
Temporal profile of omicron
Assuming that the exposure to SARS-CoV-2 was on the evening of the gathering, the incubation period was short, ranging from 2 to 6 days, with a mean incubation period of 3.24 days.
Time to resolution of symptoms varied, and at the end of follow-up, five individuals still reported symptoms, while the rest reported symptoms lasting 1 to 9 days.
Omicron cases from another Christmas gathering
Brandal et al. reported a 59% infection rate among 111 attendees of a gathering in November in Norway. The total attack rate for the Omicron variant was 74%.
Most respondents were fully vaccinated. Eighty-nine percent of the respondents had received two doses of mRNA vaccines, and none reported receiving a booster dose.
Among cases that had received two vaccine doses, 55% received Comirnaty (BNT162b2 mRNA, BioNTech-Pfizer), whereas 23% received Spikewax (mRNA-1273, Moderna). Among the 25 non-cases who had received two doses, seven received Comirnaty, whereas 12 received Spikewax.
All respondents reported having a negative rapid antigen self-test taken at home or PCR within 1–2 days before attending the event.
The median incubation period is three days, and almost all cases developed at least one symptom, and more than half (54%) reported fever. None were hospitalized, and no deaths were reported.
The two studies showed that the omicron variant is highly transmissible, and the COVID shots, including a booster shot, provide minimal protection at best. A question arises.
What to expect if you attend Holiday gatherings?
It depends on what someone believes. Someone who has complete trust in the COVID shots and will not take any measures to protect themselves (like taking Vitamin D or using nasal betadine or mouthwashes, will drink a lot of alcohol and smoke) then expect to get omicron.
Someone that fits the description above and is immune-compromised, elderly, and with comorbidities can expect to get omicron and probably get hospitalized.
Anyone vaccinated or not vaccinated who sees value in optimizing their immune system to prevent getting a viral infection has a low risk of getting infected. If omicron sets in, it will probably be mild.
16 Ways to Avoid COVID-19 During the Holidays
The most important is the early treatment if symptoms start for anyone. Don’t wait to be hospitalized.
- The FLCCC Treatment Protocol for the Delta Variant
- COVID-19 Symptoms in the Vaccinated and Unvaccinated
- The I-MASK+ Prevention & Early Outpatient Treatment Protocol for COVID-19
- What should the household do if someone has an Early COVID-19?
We always see more cases of heart attacks, congestive heart failure, and strokes after the holiday celebrations in the emergency room. Moderation in everything is key to preventing disease exacerbations.
May everyone feel the true spirit of Christmas!
Don’t Get Sick!
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Reference:
- Helmsdal et al. Omicron outbreak at a private gathering in the Faroe Islands, infecting 21 of 33 triple-vaccinated healthcare workers.
- Brandal LT, MacDonald E, Veneti L, et al. Outbreak caused by the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in Norway, November to December 2021. Eurosurveillance 2021; 26.
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