Will Omicron Infection Give Lifelong Immunity To Covid?

The Rumour Is Reassuring But Scientists Advise You Not To Bet On It. Here’s Why

- Abhilash Gaur

As the Omicron variant blitzed through the world last month, some experts suggested it might turn out to be a good thing eventually. In their view it might do what vaccines and previous Covid waves could not – create a worldwide barrier for Covid’s spread and end the pandemic.

Two years after Covid emerged as a new disease and sickened millions, or maybe billions, a very large number of people are still untouched by it. And the slow pace of vaccination outside the rich world means many of these people can’t hope for protection out of a glass vial.

However, Omicron has turned out to be a super-spreader. Under its sway even highly-vaccinated cities like Delhi are reporting record-high test positivity rates. So, it seems likely that this variant will reach every nook and corner of the world swiftly and provide infection-induced protection against future variants. Also, in countries where people have had two or three vaccine doses, infection with Omicron will improve the quality of protection manyfold.

It’s a sunny outlook, but other experts have doubts about it. Recent reports in reputed publications say the idea is certainly plausible but there are too many unknowns out there to consider it probable.

Exposure and immunity