GREENSBORO, N.C. — Pfizer announced Wednesday its booster may offer more protection against the omicron variant. The company also said someone might have significantly less protection if they only have two shots.
A Cone Health doctor we spoke with says researchers still have to sort out all the data. Dr. Cynthia Snider, Medical Director for Infection Prevention, said one thing remains clear. If someone is vaccinated and boosted, they have more protection against COVID-19.
"It's important to get that third dose to get your levels up and it provides a bit more protection," Dr. Snider said.
"If anyone's been waiting to get their booster shot, this is the time," she continued.
Duke University developed a new rapid antibody test that could offer more insight into someone's protection from omicron and other COVID-19 variants.
Researchers add plasma with antibodies to the test. They can test how that sample interacts with the COVID-19 virus. If the antibodies from the sample block the virus from binding to its receptor, that suggests someone has neutralizing antibodies, giving them protection.
Jake Haggestad, a Ph.D. student at Duke and lead researcher on the project, says he's excited about the test's development. However, he says it's just one small step.
"It's important to have those surveillance systems in place, but then also having some tests to get some information about how protected you might be after vaccination from this new variant, things like that," Haggestad said.
Early data from South Africa, one of the first major countries to track omicron cases, suggests cases are milder. The CDC said doctors here in the United States have noticed a similar trend. More research needs to be done.
Experts also say that while cases may be less severe, omicron still presents a threat because it might spread quicker.
"If it's half as aggressive and twice as contagious, that means you're going to get significant numbers of hospitalizations," Dr. Davis Augus, CBS News Medical Contributor, said.
Dr. Mandy Cohen, secretary of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, testified in front of lawmakers Tuesday about the state's COVID-19 response. She said she doesn't predict more lockdowns. However, she wouldn't rule anything out.
"Could this virus completely change and evade our vaccines," Dr. Cohen said. "Change the way it's transmitted? Sure. I don't want to sit here and say never. But I don't see that in our future."
Dr. Cohen also explained why the state remains in a state of emergency more than 600 days into the pandemic. She said the emergency declaration gives North Carolina flexibility it needs in the fight against COVID-19. Pharmacies are able to provide vaccines due to the order.