An individual receives a coronavirus illness (COVID-19) check because the Omicron coronavirus variant continues to unfold in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., December 22, 2021.
Andrew Kelly | Reuters
The omicron BQ coronavirus subvariants have risen to dominance within the U.S. as individuals collect and journey for the Thanksgiving vacation, placing individuals with compromised immune methods at elevated threat.
BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 are inflicting 57% of latest infections within the U.S., in accordance with information printed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday. The omicron BA.5 subvariant, as soon as dominant, now makes up solely a fifth of latest Covid circumstances.
The BQ subvariants are extra immune evasive and sure proof against key antibody medicines, comparable to Evusheld and bebtelovimab, utilized by individuals with compromised immune methods, in accordance with the National Institutes of Health. This contains organ transplant and most cancers chemotherapy sufferers.
There are at the moment no replacements for these medication. President Joe Biden, in an October speech, advised individuals with compromised immune methods that they need to seek the advice of with their physicians and take additional precautions this winter.
“New variants may make some existing protections ineffective for the immunocompromised. Sadly, this means you may be at a special risk this winter,” Biden stated.
The XBB subvariant can also be circulating at a low degree proper now, inflicting about 3% of latest infections. Chief White House medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci, in a briefing Tuesday, stated XBB is much more immune evasive than the BQ subvariants.
Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, stated the brand new boosters, which had been designed in opposition to omicron BA.5, in all probability aren’t as efficient in opposition to an infection and delicate sickness from XBB. But the pictures ought to shield in opposition to extreme illness, he stated. Singapore noticed a spike in circumstances from XBB, however there wasn’t a significant surge in hospitalizations, he added.
Moderna and Pfizer stated final week that their boosters induce an immune response in opposition to BQ.1.1, which is a descendent of the BA.5 subvariant.
Fauci, within the press briefing, stated public well being officers consider there may be sufficient immunity from vaccination, boosting and an infection to forestall a repeat of the unprecedented Covid surge that occurred final winter when omicron first arrived.