I got it up to the 3rd time, but why Corona...

Is Omicron strong?



People who got COVID-19 after getting the 3rd dose of vaccine, do you see a lot of people around these days?



It is no longer surprising to hear that celebrities who have been hit three times have contracted COVID-19, and if this is the case, wouldn't it be better to get COVID-19 early and develop natural immunity?



Is vaccine immunity still worse than natural immunity?



Let's examine each one.



Vaccine immunity is not as good as natural immunity, is this correct?



Delta was wrong.



According to a report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, from May to November of last year, during the Delta pandemic, vaccinated people had a 19.8-fold (California) and 18.4-fold (New York state) lower risk of infection, respectively, compared to unvaccinated people.



Those who developed only natural immunity had only a 7.2-fold and 9.9-fold lower risk of infection, respectively.



However, when Omicron appeared, the situation was reversed.



Vaccine immunity only lowered the risk of infection by 6.2 times (California) and 4.5 times (New York), while natural immunity lowered it by 29 times (California) and 18.4 times (New York).



Why is there such a difference?



The vaccine is usually given to this arm, and the antibody then travels through the blood in the arm muscle and spreads throughout the body.



But here the problem arises.



There was a lot of antibody in the blood, but not to the same level in the nose and mouth.




In fact, a study conducted by the University of Toronto in Canada found that only 30% of those who received the vaccine developed antibodies in the nose and mouth.



On the other hand, the natural immunity, which developed antibodies after contracting Corona, was different.



Almost 100% have antibodies in the nose and mouth.



This is because the vaccine initiates an immune response in the muscle of the arm that was injected, but in a natural infection the immune response occurs in the mucous membranes of the nose or mouth, where the infection first begins.



These nose and mouth antibodies were maintained for up to 13 months.



This is the reason why you get Omicron even after the 3rd dose, and the reason why your natural immunity is stronger against Omicron.



Omicron is unusually active in our nose and mouth than other mutants, but the vaccine alone does not produce enough antibodies, so even getting a vaccine will cause it.



On the other hand, natural immunity has enough antibodies left in the nose or mouth, so when Omicron enters, it immediately rushes in and destroys the virus from the beginning.




Now, then, don't you need to get the 3rd or 4th vaccine?



If you get the 3rd dose, the antibody in the nose and mouth mucosa is slightly increased compared to the 2nd dose.



Although it is not as expected, the 3rd dose is clearly more effective in preventing infection than the 2nd dose.



The effect of severe prevention was also evident in patients with underlying diseases over the age of 60.




However, the 4th dose does not meet the 50% effectiveness set by the World Health Organization as 30% Pfizer and 11% Moderna in preventing infection.



Isn't the 4th vaccination necessary for the immunocompromised?



By the way, I didn't develop immunity because I got the 3rd dose, but will it happen after the 4th or 5th dose?



Vaccines certainly make immunity to COVID-19 less dangerous, but those who are at risk after 3 doses are still at risk after 4 or 5 doses.



Therefore, for the immunocompromised, other alternatives such as treatment for immunocompromised patients should be prepared as in the United States and Europe.



(Video coverage: Jeon Gyeong-bae, Park Hyeon-cheol, video editing: Park Ji-in, CG: Kim Jong-un)