BA.2.12.1 Subvariant: Concerning, but No Need to Panic Just Yet
A new Omicron subvariant is rapidly gaining steam in New York and other parts of the Northeast. Experts are urging caution in the face of BA.2.12.1, and say a number of factors are contributing to its rise. But they’re also warning against panic. As of April 20, BA.2.12.1 accounted for more than 75% of sequenced […]
COVID Isn’t Over
A new omicron subvariant, BA.2, is now the dominant COVID strain, however, doctors have seen it function like a bad cold.
COVID Antivirals Appear to Hold Up Against BA.2
While two monoclonal antibody combinations showed neutralizing activity against the Omicron subvariant BA.2, both required substantially higher concentrations to produce a response in patients with COVID-19, Japanese researchers said, while antivirals appeared to be less affected. Casirivimab/imdevimab (REGEN-COV) and tixagevimab/cilgavimab (Evusheld) inhibited BA.2, but the titer of monoclonal antibodies “required for a 50% reduction in […]
Health Officials Warily Eye Rising New BA.2 Omicron Strain
[embedded content] Health officials are keeping a sharp eye on the COVID-19 omicron subvariant BA.2, which appears to be more contagious than the current BA.1 strain — but its health impacts are still unclear. A new World Health Organization study reported that even as COVID-19 cases are falling, BA.2 accounted for 21.5% of all new […]