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Short Report: There is no reason to fear Sars-CoV-2 Omicron but entirely new vaccines are needed to stop all known hCoVs
  • +2
  • Dr. Carolina Diamandis,
  • Jonathan Feldman,
  • Marianne Kaufmann,
  • David Seideman,
  • Olga Ivanova
Dr. Carolina Diamandis

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

Author Profile
Jonathan Feldman
Marianne Kaufmann
David Seideman
Olga Ivanova

Abstract

The emergence of the Omicron variant (and its derivatives) was a tipping point from the 2020/2021 Covid-19 pandemic to a surprisingly early endemic situation. Contrary to what is sometimes discussed, a replacement of Sars-CoV-2 Omicron by another variant that produces more clinically problematic courses is only a theoretical possibility; in practice, it will not happen. Therefore, now is the time to tailor new vaccines not only against the Sars-CoV-2 virus, but also to protect entire populations against OC43, HKU1, 229E, and NL63, which have been known for a long time. These coronaviruses are, as of February 2022, a greater public health threat than the Sars-CoV-2 virus in its Omicron variant.