The novel coronavirus subvariant BQ. 1 and its sibling BQ. 1. 1 account for the majority of COVID-19 infections in the U. S. Considerations that new variants may drive a winter resurgence in some cases have yet to materialize.
The two, which are descended from BA. 5, a subvariant of omicron, now collectively account for more than 62% of COVID-19 cases circulating in the United States, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Meanwhile, BA. 5, which had been the dominant strain for months through November, accounts for about 13 percent of cases.
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Health officials say not much is known about the two subvariants, limited knowledge suggests they are highly transmissible and symptoms appear similar to previous strains of omicron.
While it would be less difficult to get infected, the new subvariants do not appear to increase disease severity compared to earlier omicron strains, which in turn have been found to be particularly less severe than previous strains of the coronavirus.
Officials warn that other people with weakened immune systems may be at increased risk, as existing COVID-19 antibody treatments are not as effective as BQ. 1 and BQ. 1. 1.
Earlier this week, the Food and Drug Administration rescinded its emergency authorization for Eli Lilly’s bebtelavimab, which used to treat others with weakened immune systems who had contracted COVID-19, indicating that it is not as effective as emerging subvariants of omicron.
Other treatments, such as the antiviral Paxlovid, are still available; Some patients may not be able to benefit from treatment, such as transplant recipients who cannot take it at the same time as their other medications.
The coverage offered through the updated COVID-19 booster vaccines compared to the new strains also decreased slightly, as they were designed to target the BA. 4 and BA. 5 subvariants, though officials said they continued to offer additional merit over past injections, especially as opposed to severe illness.
“These subvariants, obviously, we stick to them very closely. The good news is that even if you see a reduction in our vaccines, they are still effective as opposed to those subvariants, much more effective than the original vaccine,” said Dr. Brown. . Ashish Jha, the White House’s coronavirus response coordinator, at a press conference last week. Noticed in the subvariants makes me think that we can’t manage our path effectively, especially if other people step in and get vaccinated. “
Pfizer-BioNTech said last month that its updated recall provides more coverage compared to new omicron subvariants, adding BQ. 1. 1, than its original COVID-19 vaccine.
As the coronavirus pandemic evolves, the number of cases in the U. S. is becoming more likely to do so. UU. se has remained low in recent weeks. As of Nov. 30, there were more than 303,000 existing cases of COVID-19, about a fraction of the number of cases reported at the same time last time. year, according to the CDC.
Weekly COVID-19 deaths are down, with 1780 deaths reported for the week ending Nov. 30. Last year, more than 7,000 deaths were recorded for the same period.
Other respiratory viruses are on the rise, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (also known as RSV), creating overcrowding in some hospitals across the country.
Health officials are encouraging others to update their COVID-19 boosters, warning that trends may be replaced as they did last winter, when cases spiked with the emergence of BA. 4 and BA. 5, as uptake remains low for new omicron vaccines. Only 12. 5% of other people aged five and older received an updated booster shot on December 1.
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“Please, for your own protection, for the protection of your circle of relatives, update your COVID-19 vaccine as soon as you are eligible to protect yourself, your circle of family and your community,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said last week his last appearance at the White House.