by Daniel Brouse
email: help@membrane.com
Omicron Update January 4, 2022
The effects of antibodies produced by the immune system’s “memory B cells” against the Omicron variant of the coronavirus are weakened. After the body learns to recognize SARS-CoV-2, B cells generate fresh antibodies against the virus if there are not enough antibodies circulating in the blood.
“Omicron seemed to evade a very large share of the memory B cells,” said Matthieu Mahevas and Pascal Chappert of Universite de Paris.
The research was published in Immune escape of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant from mRNA vaccination-elicited RBD-specific memory B cells. “Memory B cells (MBCs) represent a second layer of immune protection against SARS-CoV-2. Whether MBCs elicited by mRNA vaccines can recognize the Omicron variant is of major concern. We used bio-layer interferometry to assess the affinity against the receptor-binding-domain (RBD) of Omicron spike of 313 naturally expressed monoclonal IgG that were previously tested for affinity and neutralization against VOC prior to Omicron. We report here that Omicron evades recognition from a larger fraction of these antibodies than any of the previous VOCs. Additionally, whereas 30% of these antibodies retained high affinity against Omicron-RBD, our analysis suggest that Omicron specifically evades antibodies displaying potent neutralizing activity against the D614G and Beta variant viruses. Further studies are warranted to understand the consequences of a lower memory B cell potency on the overall protection associated with current vaccines.”
Updated August 4, 2021
COVID-19 Delta Variant and Vaccines
The efficacy of mRna vaccines is about 79% against contracting the Delta variant. Non-mRna vaccines are between 40-60% effective against Delta. Vaccines lose efficacy at about 3%/month after six months of being fully vaccinated. Vaccines appear to help contain the Delta variant to the nasal passage — you are less likely to develop the epigenetic changes to your genes (long-COVID).
We know the epigenetic changes caused by COVID partially dismantle your immune system including dysfunction of NAD+ optimization and suppression of T and NK cells.
There is no natural immunity from previous infection. Everybody needs to get vaccinated.
COVID Vaccine Breakthrough Cases
Q: Why are there so many breakthrough cases of COVID in the vaccinated?
A: There are several reasons why there are breakthrough cases with any vaccine; however, COVID is different. Many of the vaccinated people getting COVID already had COVID prior to being vaccinated. This is the second time they have contracted the virus. Once you have had COVID, your immune system is compromised. You should consider yourself immune compromised. The vaccine will not fully compensate for that fact.
THE ORIGINAL COVID STRAIN
A study published in The Lancet entitled Dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 neutralising antibody responses and duration of immunity: a longitudinal study found the immunity from a COVID reinfection varies widely from individual to individual from days to decades.
“We identified five distinctive patterns of neutralising antibody dynamics as follows:
* negative, individuals who did not, at our intervals of sampling, develop neutralising antibodies at the 30% inhibition level [12%];
* rapid waning, individuals who had varying levels of neutralising antibodies from around 20 days after symptom onset, but seroreverted in less than 180 days [27%];
* slow waning, individuals who remained neutralising antibody-positive at 180 days post-symptom onset [29%];
* persistent, although with varying peak neutralising antibody levels, these individuals had minimal neutralising antibody decay [32%];
* and delayed response, a small group that showed an unexpected increase of neutralising antibodies during late convalescence (at 90 or 180 days after symptom onset [2%]).
Persistence of neutralising antibodies was associated with disease severity and sustained level of pro-inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors. By contrast, T-cell responses were similar among the different neutralising antibody dynamics groups. On the basis of the different decay dynamics, we established a prediction algorithm that revealed a wide range of neutralising antibody longevity, varying from around 40 days to many decades.
The question may also apply to vaccines: will the COVID immunity offered by vaccinations last for 40 days to many decades? What is the durability of vaccines and will it be uniform or vary widely from person to person?
Previously released on January 24, 2021:
1) Natural Immunity
If you get a moderate to severe case of COVID-19, most people maintain viable antibodies for 90 days and memory T-cells for 5 months. This will likely give you natural immunity to the same strain of COVID for up to 5 months. The resistance to the UK variant is thought to be diminished. The resistance to the South African variant is thought to be none. There is some concern that COVID may erase all or part of your T cells’ memory for other pathogens.
2) Vaccines
You should anticipate that vaccines will give you a very similar immune response as the natural immunity acquired from contracting COVID. It doesn’t matter which vaccine you receive. You should get whatever vaccine you can get and as soon as possible. You should anticipate needing to get vaccinated every 90 days once vaccines are developed for all the different variants.
The message is — we have to stop the community spread and the exponential rise in variants WORLDWIDE. Individual countries can not obtain herd immunity.
More Information on COVID-19
What We Use to Know about Immunity
Q: What do we know about immunity to COVID-19, the immune system, antibodies, memory T cells, and autoimmune disfunctions?
A: Not much. Today is September 2, 2020. The virus is still new. We probably won’t be able to know the longterm affects of COVID-19 until the longterm; however, there is a growing body of research that is starting to uncover some of the mysteries.
Q: Do we know if recovered COVID-19 patients have immunity to reinfection.
A: No. We do not know the durability of the antibodies, nor the length of memory of the T cells. Originally, researchers thought you could only catch COVID-19 once, and you would gain immunity. Scientists started off thinking you would have a minimum of 1 year immunity and quite possibly 2-3 years. Now, 6 months later, that theory is history.
There are several cases globally where reinfection was confirmed by identifying that the second infection was by a different mutation of COVID than the original infection. “So far, there are three patients known to have been infected with SARS-CoV-2 twice, and in at least one case the second time around was asymptomatic.”(1) Reinfection is rare, researchers said, but people should still be cautious. “If you’ve had it, you can’t necessarily be considered invulnerable to the infection,” Mark Pandori, one of the authors and director of the Nevada State Public Health Laboratory said.(2)
An extensive case study was conducted on the reinfection case from Nevada”
“These findings suggest that the patient was infected by SARS-CoV-2 on two separate occasions by a genetically distinct virus. Thus, previous exposure to SARS-CoV-2 might not guarantee total immunity in all cases. All individuals, whether previously diagnosed with COVID-19 or not, should take identical precautions to avoid infection with SARS-CoV-2. The implications of reinfections could be relevant for vaccine development and application.”(3) Half of the those that became reinfected had more serious symptoms with the reinfection.
Since this paper was first published, a study done by the Imperial College of London found a 26% decline in antibodies over a three month period. The study all but eliminates the possibility of herd immunity. The study also indicates any post-COVID immunity is short lived and chances of being reinfected are large.(4)
Q: Why do so many recovered patients appear to be getting reinfected?
A: Most recovered individuals are not getting reinfected, rather their immune system mistakes inactive strands of COVID RNA as active virus. The autoimmune system reacts with an autoimmune disconnect resulting in cycles of recurring symptoms.(5) In the short term, it is thought the recurring symptoms will not cause irreparable damage. The long haul for long haulers is less certain with the duration of your body attacking your own organs in question.
Q: How long do COVID antibodies last?
A: Again, we do not know. Originally, it was thought the antibodies would last for a long period and the memory T cells might give you lifelong immunity. That is no longer the science. “There is currently no evidence that people who have recovered from COVID-19 are protected from a second infection.”(6) A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that antibody levels against the novel coronavirus decreased by about half every 73 days and, if that rate were sustained, would be depleted within about a year. The findings are similar to those of several previous reports showing rapidly decreasing antibody levels after infection, including one published Jun 18 in Nature, which showed that levels of antibodies against COVID-19 began to decrease within 2 or 3 months of infection.(7)
Q: What immunity do T Cells give?
A: We don’t know. There are two types of T Cells. Memory T cells live for six months or less in healthy humans (Westera et al., 2013), whereas naive T cells can live for up to nine years (Vrisekoop et al., 2008). Memory T cells are the ones that remember your previous infections and how to fight them. Memory T cells reproduce passing on their memory. There is growing concern that the memory T cells may be forgetting. It is possible that COVID erases the memory of your T cells making you susceptible to get infected by any other disease or illness you have previous had or have been vaccinated for (as measles can do.) Measles seem to wipe out immune cells that ‘remember’ encounters with specific bacteria and viruses.(8)
RECOMMENDATION:
Until more is known, recovered COVID patients should take great care and avoid exposure to all bacteria and viruses, including COVID, that may cause illness.
1. Patients Reinfected with Coronavirus in Hong Kong, Europe (The Scientist)
2. 1st U.S. COVID-19 Reinfection Reported in Nevada Patient (WebMD / NBC)
3. Genomic evidence for reinfection with SARS-CoV-2: a case study (The Lancet)
4. Declining prevalence of antibody positivity to SARS-CoV-2: a community study of 365,000 adults Imperial College London
5. COVID-19 Long Haulers: autoimmune response due to inactive particles of the virus (Daniel Brouse)
6. “Immunity passports” in the context of COVID-19 (WHO)
7. COVID-19 antibodies decay quickly after mild illness (Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy)
8. Measles erases immune ‘memory’ for other diseases (Nature)