New US #SARSCoV2 genomic surveillance data
The proportion of BA.5 cases is declining, as new variants are out-competing, some of which have already been shown to have more immune escape such as BA.2.75.2 and BQ.1.1 covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tra…
Here @SolidEvidence has mapped out their evolutionary path with a convergence of several mutations
And @EllingUlrich has an insightful thread about both the convergent and non-convergent mutations for the new variants
For opera, "It ain't over till the fat lady sings"
For the pandemic, It ain't over (contained, under control, ahead of it) till we get better vaccines that block infections and spread (e.g. nasal) and are variant-proof, pan-sarbecovirus
New info on the major variants on the radar screen, by @yunlong_cao
Pandemic virus sequencing has provided the notable edge of seeing variants before they go exponential, characterizing them, determining in advance whether and which treatments (mAbs), vaccines will be effective
More here: devex.com/news/sponsored… by @PhilFebboMD_CMO
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There are too many new #SARSCoV2 variants on the radar screen that show growth advantage vs BA.5, and 2 with extreme immune evasiveness to date. One is a BA.5 descendant, BQ.1.1; the other is derived from BA.2, BA.2.75.2. They share a RBD mutation, R346T
(Maps from @PeacockFlu)
Wish this was true. What's over is @POTUS's and our government's will to get ahead of it, with magical thinking on the new bivalent boosters. Ignores #LongCovid, inevitability of new variants, and our current incapability for blocking infections and transmission
Lifting the booster fog
The evidence supporting boosters is incontrovertible. Summary of data for 4th vs 3rd shots for survival benefit, age 50+
The unequivocal benefit is for enhanced protection vs severe Covid
2. The most recent @CDCgov data, compared with unvaccinated, age 50+
4 shots: 94% reduction of death
3 shots: 83.5% reduction of death
3. The magnitude of benefit has been consistent over time, for different Omicron subvariants. Here in May, across all ages, H/T @redouad, 96% reduction of death for 4 shots vs unvaccinated
Nasal and oral vaccines are our best shot to block infections, transmission, achieve containment of the virus, reduce the toll of sickness, & help prevent #LongCovid. They are not getting adequate priority in the US science.org/doi/10.1126/sc… w/ @VirusesImmunity@SciImmunology