Re:What the Omicron wave is revealing about human immunity
by Izkata on Friday February 04, 2022 @12:53AM
(#30203358)
That 94% was against symptoms, not infection. They didn't measure infection, so there was no way to distinguish between stopping infection and still being infected but stopping symptoms (and so still being able to spread it). Turns out, even before Omicron, it was mostly the second case.
Re:What the Omicron wave is revealing about human immunity
by rhino369 on Friday February 04, 2022 @10:59AM
(#30208476)
CDC said 90% for asymptomatic infection once they did measure infection. https://www.aha.org/news/headline/2021-03-29-cdc-authorized-...
The change is partly that the effectiveness wanes after a few months and partly that its less effectively again new variants like Delta and Omicron. You can create delta+omicron mRNA vaccines to deal the second problem, but the first problem is much harder--and maybe impossible--to deal with.
This is why we had low cases during the summer of 2021. The vaccine mostly worked at stopping the spread. It no longer does.
If they stayed 90% effective like they were originally, we could have ended the virus. But vaccine efficiency wanes over time. New omicron+delta vaccines will help somewhat, but their effectiveness will probably wane over time too.
Time to get used to cold, flu, and covid season every winter.