new branches of dominance Omicron. BA.5 Subvariant of Known as BQ.1 and BQ.1.1, developing in the United States as the SARS-Cov-2 virus, which triggered the COVID-19 pandemic, continues to evolve.
The following describes the new coronavirus subtypes and how they can affect people.
What are BQ.1 and BQ.1.1?
According to the World Health Organization, BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 are among over 300 subclasses of the Omicron variant circulating globally, 95% of which are direct descendants of BA.5.
In early July, BA.5 became the dominant subtype of the coronavirus spreading in the United States, but in October it began to give way to BQ.1 and BQ.1.1.
Both contain genetic changes that make it difficult for the immune system to recognize and neutralize the virus. This makes them better able to infect people despite vaccination and immunity from prior infections.
Evidence from France, however, where cases of the variants have increased, suggests that they do not cause increased rates of hospitalizations and deaths, Dr. Eric Topol, a genomics expert and director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute in La Jolla, California, said on Twitter.
Will the treatments still work?
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, mutations in these two subtypes make it unlikely that the antibody drug bebetalovimab, sold by Eli Lilly & Co., will be effective in neutralizing them. The drug, used to treat mild to moderate COVID-19 in adults and children, is authorized for all US territories who may experience infection from other regions. virus subtypes,
Such antibody treatments are sensitive to changes in the virus because they target specific parts of the virus. Experts predict that Pfizer Inc.’s oral antiviral treatment Paxlovid, which works by blocking an enzyme that the virus needs to replicate, is expected to remain effective.
Will the updated vaccine boosters still work?
It is not yet clear how these new versions of the coronavirus will affect the population in the United States, where booster uptake has been slow and COVID mitigation such as masks and social distancing has largely been abandoned.
There is no legal requirement to self-isolate if you test positive for COVID-19, but most people want to be isolated until they are no longer contagious. (Express photo by Amit Mehra)
However, there is early evidence from Pfizer and German partner BioNTech SE that their updated boosters, which target ba.5 and ba.4 as well as the original virus, increase levels of infection-fighting antibodies against the Omicron subvariant in older adults. increase.
A study of the blood of three dozen adults showed that the shot increased neutralizing antibodies against the BA.4/BA.5 Omicron subvariant four-fold compared to the original shot after one month.
It is not yet clear whether this will translate into higher protection against the BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 subvariants, but their close association with BA.5 may work in the booster’s favor.
(Reporting by Julie Steinhusen Editing by Bill Berkrot)
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