People who recovered from COVID-19 were well protected against severe COVID-19, even after the Omicron virus variant became dominant, according to a new study.

The people, benefiting from protection known as natural immunity, had approximately 88 percent protection against severe, critical, or fatal COVID-19 in cases caused by Omicron, according to researchers in Qatar.

That was down from 100 percent during the time of Delta dominance but about the same as the protection while the Beta variant was dominant.