The milder outcomes of infection with the Omicron variant of coronavirus are possibly due to more immunity in the population rather than the properties of the virus, suggest US researchers.

In a perspective article, in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers stated that the lower severity with Omicron infections is most likely attributed to the factors related to the level of immunity among the infected individuals. Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School in the US stated that prior exposure would have led to a reduction in the severity of a subsequent infection with the Omicron variant. They also noted that the milder symptoms may partly be attributed to Omicrons ability to cause breakthrough infections and reinfections, including in individuals who have a stronger immune system and are better equipped to fight the infection… (ET Healthworld – PTI, February 4, 2022)