Thread by @DrEricDing

📍NEW DOMINANCE of “ESCAPE ARTIST” Variants #BA5 & #BA4–together topping 52% of all strains in the US, all while #BA2 family going extinct. ➡️BA5&4 are highly evasive against past immunity—matches rise in #COVID19 hospitalization in US & many countries.🧵 covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tra…

2) this is why FDA has recommended for updates booster shots— The panel’s vote paves the way for F.D.A. to push manufacturers to make reformulated boosters in time for Biden WH to offer them later this year, before an expected winter surge of the virus.
nytimes.com/2022/06/28/us/…

3) #BA5 has begun causing havoc in hospitalizations worldwide in many countries. Especially recently in Portugal that had a wave of hospitalization that neared it’s winter peak. UK is now being squeezed by BA5/4 too. 👇

https://twitter.com/DrEricDing/status/1541418780210995200

4) For example, there’s been 4 consecutive week of #COVID19 hospitalization increases in England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿— rising 38% in the past week alone — this is an acceleration. All because of #BA5/4.

5) why are some countries just only starting to see #COVID19 hospitalizations climb? Well #Ba5 & #BA4 have only just begun to arrive in various countries. Look at the central EU countries like France, Italy, Germany— #Ba5 is only on the upswing recently—lots of room to surge. 👀

6) It’s clear that #BA5 is somewhat faster than #BA4, and overtime BA5 will likely win and be the main strain, though everywhere BA5 goes, BA4 shows up too, suggesting BA4 may have some unique advantages too.

Figure by @DrWilliamKu

7) the new #Ba5/4 surge is behind the latest uptick in #COVID19 hospitalizations in adults and children… I think it will accelerate more in coming weeks.

https://twitter.com/drericding/status/1542188504553242624

8) the sheer craziness of new variants coming and going and coming and going— being ever displaced by another new #SARSCoV2 variant is just insane. I worry if our rollout of adapted vaccines + clinical trials + FDA authorization timeline can keep up with this furious pace.

https://twitter.com/DGBassani/status/1542337563398213636