As the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.1 variant spreads across the world, the degree to which vaccine- and infection-elicited antibodies conferred protection from infection and severe disease remained unclear. Moreover, the neutralizing capacity of therapeutic antibodies was not well defined. Here, Lusvarghi and colleagues tested the ability of serum from individuals previously infected with SARS-CoV-2, serum from individuals vaccinated and boosted with mRNA vaccines, and therapeutic antibodies to neutralize the Omicron BA.1 variant. The authors found that those receiving three doses of a SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine had Omicron BA.1–neutralizing antibodies. However, convalescent serum poorly neutralized Omicron BA.1, regardless of infecting variant. Last, most, but not all, therapeutic antibodies tested lost potency against the Omicron BA.1 variant. Together, these results underscore the value of vaccination and highlight the need to develop therapeutics that can neutralize Omicron and other emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants.
05/04/2022