Covid-19
COVID Variants Omicron BQ.1/BQ.1.1 Make up 35% Of U.S. Cases: CDC
(CTN News) – According to an estimate released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Friday, Omicron subvariants BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 were responsible for nearly 35% of the nation’s coronavirus cases in the week ending Nov. 5 compared to 23.2% the week before.
The subvariants represented about 9% of all cases during the week of October 15, and since then, their percentage among circulating cases has been continuously increasing.
The two varieties descended from the BA.5 subvariant of Omicron have quickly gained ground in Europe.
According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, they are expected to quickly overtake other varieties and increase the number of cases over the next weeks and months.
The European agency said that there is currently no proof that BQ.1 is more severe than the Omicron forms that are in circulation, BA.4 and BA.5, but it cautioned that it might circumvent certain immune protection, citing laboratory research in Asia.
Regulators and vaccine producers actively monitor new varieties in case they begin to circumvent the protection provided by existing injections.
The investigational COVID medication bebtelovimab from Eli Lilly (LLY.N), according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, was not anticipated to neutralize these Omicron subvariants.
The U.S. CDC said on Friday that BQ.1.1 made up approximately 19% of circulating variations, and Omicron BQ.1 was anticipated to make up 16.5% of circulating cases in the week of Nov. 5.
The prior week’s result was revised from a previous reading of 27.1%.
According to estimates, the Omicron BA.5 subvariant, which increased instances earlier this year, accounts for roughly 39% of cases, down from almost 51% in the week ending October 29.
For the week ending Nov. 2, according to CDC statistics, there was a little increase in coronavirus cases. This follows a steady drop in reported cases from peak levels in July.
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