It only took about a month for BA.2.12.1, a subvariable of Omicron, that causes most of the new COVID-19 cases in the US since scientists first discovered it in the country. But even newer versions of the Omicron variant are spreading rapidly through the United States and poised to compete with earlier versions of the virus, renewable for millions of Americansand expand on the country’s current COVID-19 surge.
BA.4 and BA.5 now account for more than 21% of new cases in the US, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). estimate as of June 11. These two new subspecies have evolved from the Omicron lineage to become more contagious and may bypass immunity to past infections or vaccinations, experts say know. This means that people can be reinfected even if they have Omicron earlier this year.
Here’s what to know about the latest Omicron subvariables.
They were made to get rid of immunity
Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 are first identified in South Africa in January and February 2022. BA.2.12.1meanwhile, developed from BA.2 in the United States, and scientists at the New York State Department of Health identified the first cases caused by it in the country in April.
Marc Johnson, professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of Missouri, who led the way: state wastewater monitoring program. “Clearly there is convergence on how to overcome the immune system,” he said.
Paul Bieniasz, a professor at Rockefeller University who studies virus evolution, says these newer versions of Omicron can overcome antibodies produced by past vaccinations or previous infections there. Several research groups — including a team at Columbia University, a Coporation, group based in Japan, and a international group including South African scientists – tested antibodies from previous Omicron infections against BA.4 and BA.5. All three studies found that such antibodies provided protection against Omicron BA.1 or BA.2, which are several times older versions of this variant, than against BA. 4 or BA.5.
While these studies have yet to be reviewed, scientists like Bieniasz consider them part of a projected trend in the ongoing evolution of coronaviruses. “Future variants will ‘acquire more and more mutations that will allow them to evade the antibodies we are making in response to vaccination and infection’,” he said.
Some treatments are not effective against them
Newer secondary variables may also omit monoclonal antibody treatments, which use laboratory-generated immune system proteins developed from earlier strains of SARS-CoV-2. “Most of the antibodies that have been made now are out of date,” says Bieniasz. There is only one such treatment performed by Eli Lilly, specially designed to resist Omicron, currently in effect and in use. However, other treatments such as antiviral drugs Paxlovid may help reduce severe symptoms caused by an Omicron infection.
They are more contagious, but it is not clear whether they cause more severe disease
So far, limited data are available on the severity of the newer subvariables, although scientists are optimistic based on reports from South Africa, which has had fewer hospitalizations and deaths. in its waves BA.4 and BA.5 compared with BA.1.
However, it is clear that BA.4, BA.5 and BA.2.12.1 are more contagious than previous versions of OmicronThis allows them to spread even faster. According to estimates from the CDC, BA.4 and BA.5 increased from causing about 1% of new COVID-19 cases nationwide in the first week of May to 22% of new cases in the week ending 11 BA.2.12.1 has been similarly explosive: it now causes an estimated 64% of new infections in the US and has been responsible for the majority of new cases nationwide since mid-May.
Data from Helix, a virus and gene monitoring company, also showed BA.4, BA.5 and BA.2.12.1 gains while older versions of Omicron declined. Shishi Luo, deputy director of bioinformatics and infectious diseases at Helix, said the US had a wave of BA.1 and is now in the middle of a wave of BA.2. She said that BA.4 and BA.5 could make a new wave on top of this BA.2.
It’s not clear which race will rule America next
Luo and other experts are watching to determine if one or two of the Omicron-related subvariables will compete with the other variants. While BA.4 and BA.5 have driven new increases in COVID-19 in other countries, these secondary variables are not yet in direct competition with BA.2.12.1. Initial data from England suggests BA.4 and BA.5 may spread slightly faster than BA.2.12.1, but the landscape is not clear.
BA.4, BA.5 and BA.2.12.1 are all “competing for the same people, because they have the same advantage,” Johnson said. His team’s Missouri Wastewater Monitoring Network shows that BA.4 and BA.5 are causing more cases in some places, while BA.2.12.1 is causing more cases in others. However, areas dominated by BA.2.12.1 are showing an increase in cases, he said. This pattern contradicts other reports on BA.4 and BA.5 take over from BA.2.12.1.
Bieniasz said different versions of Omicron could become the dominant strain in different parts of the country. For example, in the Northeast where there is a surge in the direction of BA.2.12.1 there seems to be reached the top, BA.4 and BA.5 may have less of a foothold, while they become more popular in the South and West. Human behavior, such as choosing to hold mass gatherings or travel, can also play a role in that variation comes first when different strains “fit closely in terms of their condition,” he said.
What is clear, however, is that many Americans are susceptible to reinfection from these secondary variables. “We can look forward to refinishing it,” Luo said. “And every time we get infected, it’s a hassle at best. And worst, it can lead to debilitating symptoms,” she added, pointing to the long-term risk of COVID – which recent studies show is common even in people who have been vaccinated.
“We don’t really appreciate how slippery this virus is,” says Bieniasz. He hopes the coronavirus will continue to evolve around the immune system’s defenses. New vaccine candidates, like Specific Omicron Enhancement developed by Moderna, may be necessary to increase protection from further reinfection.
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