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. 2022 May 17;29(6):1107–1122. doi: 10.1038/s41418-022-01015-x

Fig. 4. The SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant with high mutational burden exhibits increased antibody evasion.

Fig. 4

In a typical SARS-CoV-2 infection, the virus presented in the lymphoid organs evokes T helper cells which facilitate the activation of both humoral and cellular immune responses. Antibodies and effector CD8+ T cells were then released into circulation. Antibodies neutralize virus and eliminate infected cells through ADCC. CD8+ T cells kill infected cells through cytotoxicity. However, as for SARS-CoV-2 Omicron, the effects of antibody-mediated protection were dramatically reduced, which is possibly brought about by over 30 mutations in the genes encoding spike proteins. There are 3 possibilities explaining the sudden appearance of Omicron: 1. Omicron may have been transmitted within a neglected population without sufficient medical surveillance; 2. It could be outcompeted in a patient with chronic COVID-19 infections; 3. It may be zoonotic and just spilled back into human.