Thread by @DrEricDing

⚠️SCOOP—Just learned bad #COVID news from my source. The less bad news first:📌the most evasive #XBB recombination escape variant to date, albeit <1%, but no longer 0%. 📌Worse: very evasive #BQ variants now spiked to 27%—w/ 42% in NY/NJ where 🏥 surging. Doubling time—10 days!🧵

2) the data will be released by the CDC mid day tomorrow (Friday). The #BQ11 & #BQ1 variants were just 11% two weeks ago, and 16.6% last week. This week—27% nationwide!! That’s a huge surge. The 27% will be reported tomorrow. But this is a meteoric rise!

3) It has been conveyed to me that my scoop 2 weeks ago upset the @CDCgov leadership, who were caught trying to defend how they neglected to inform the public that #BQ variants went from UNLISTED to suddenly 11%. It was epically embarrassing of @CDCDirector.

https://twitter.com/DrEricDing/status/1580749470580453376

4) Note about SCOOPS—to date: I have reported breaking news scoops on Twitter first. But with the change in Twitter leadership, I will soon be posting breaking news on my Journal here. Subscribe for updates. COVID news will be free, but support welcome:
drericding.substack.com

5) As a reminder— the #BQ variants are highly resistant to existing monoclonal antibody drugs. They effectively escape Evusheld and Bebtelovimab says @yunlong_cao. This is very very bad.

https://twitter.com/drericding/status/1580764559584874496

6) We do believe that the #BA5 bivalent booster should mostly work against #BQ variants because BQs are descendants of BA5. The neutralization data on BA5 by @yunlong_cao supports it. But only if people take them.

https://twitter.com/DrEricDing/status/1580761711585685504

7) I think everyone should get the bivalent #BA5 vaccine. #BQ are subvariants of BA5, and while some debate if original booster just as good (I still think BA5 better)—the key is getting boosted. The other option is #Novavax as booster. Search for Novavax: vaccines.gov

8) To be clear, I’m not leaving Twitter. But for special SCOOPS & reporting that I risk lots of personal capital and use professional resources to acquire the reporting for—I will share them first in my Journal (free). CDC can hate it, but hey, journalism.
drericding.substack.com

9) I do apologize that this week, I’m unable to share a screenshot of the 27% #BQ report because irate and paranoid @CDCgov leaders, who were epically embarrassed 2 weeks ago by their failure to warn the public, have (tried to) LOCK DOWN information on the variant reports. Welp🤷🏻‍♂️

https://twitter.com/drericding/status/1580778170202345472

10) Shit, UK 🇬🇧 also seeing #BQ variants spiking— over 30% as of last week (red, lower right). This is now very very bad. Notice how fast it is displacing other variants that are all falling. This matches the new 27% #BQ scoop above.

HT @chrischirp

11) Another worrisome variant is #BF7– 2 weeks ago, it was 5.3%, then 6.7% last week, and this week (on forthcoming report)… BF7 will be 7.6%. Thus, while it’s slower than #BQ variants, BF7 is still growing alongside of it, and not dropping like BA5 or BA46. BF7 is evasive too.

12) I’ve awake half the night & all morning waiting for CDC to drop the new variant data— still nothing so far. It’s a Friday—is CDC purposefully trying to drop as late as possible on Friday so that the meteoric 27% surge be swept under rug? C’mon @CDCgov.
covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tra…

13) Since CDC is taking their slow sweet time dropping the horrific 11% ==> 27% #BQ variant numbers… let’s visit how effective the @CDCDirector has been in her messaging to protect the public… oh wait… someone forgot to warn #COVIDIsAirborne and forgot to #BringBackMasks …

https://twitter.com/DrEricDing/status/1583909829575606272

14) CDC shouldn’t have to worry about political optics. They should just release the data & be honest with the public about it. 10:30am Eastern on a Friday should be more than enough time to release new data so that reporters can file a story. Tick tock @CDCgov—lets go—drop data!

15) UPDATE— @CDCgov now finally releases the variant data — it confirms everything I said. Down to the exact percentage of #BQ nationwide and in NY/NJ region of 42%!

https://twitter.com/DrEricDing/status/1586009774495244290