Two Omicron Subvariants Resistant to Key Antibody Treatments are Rising in the U.S.

(CTN News) – According to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, two omicron subvariants resistant to important antibody therapies are increasing in prevalence in the United States.

According to CDC statistics released on Friday, the subvariants BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 now account for 27% of infections in the U.S., a considerable increase over the previous week when they made up around 16% of new cases.

Omicron BA.5 is still the dominant variety but is losing ground weekly. The numbers show that it currently accounts for around 50% of infections in the United States, down from 60% the week before.

This week, President Joe Biden warned that those with weakened immune systems were especially vulnerable this winter since antibody therapies do not work against newly discovered subvariants.

The National Institutes of Health claim that Evusheld and bebtelovimab resistance exists in Omicron BQ.1 and BQ.1.1.

People with moderately or severely weakened immune systems aged 12 and older get two injections of an antibody cocktail called evusheld to prevent Covid-19.

A monoclonal antibody called bebtelovimab is used to treat Covid following an infection.

Biden advised those with weakened immune systems to speak with their doctors about the appropriate safety measures.

The United States is running out of alternatives to treat the vulnerable, according to Dr. Ashish Jha, leader of the White House Covid task group, since Congress failed to provide extra funding for the country’s Covid response.

This week, Jha told reporters, “We had thought that over time, as the pandemic went along, as our war against this virus went along, we would be growing our medicine cabinet.

“It medication cupboard has diminished because of the lack of funds from Congress, which puts vulnerable individuals in danger.”

How successfully the new boosters defend against variations like Omicron BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 is unknown.

Jha has claimed that since these subvariants are related to Omicron BA.5, included in the newer vaccinations, the boosters should provide higher protection than the older injections.

The omicron boosters did not perform much better than the traditional injections against Omicron BA, according to two separate trials from Columbia and Harvard published this week.5. The trials, according to the Food and Drug Administration, were too tiny to make any firm conclusions.

The first-generation vaccinations were not as well matched to the circulating variations as the current injections are, according to the CDC, FDA, and White House Covid taskforce.

According to what is known about immunology and the science of this virus, Jha told reporters in September, “it is reasonable to expect that these new vaccines will provide better protection against infection, better protection against transmission, and better ongoing and better protection against serious illness.”

Jha urged all eligible Americans to have their flu vaccination and omicron booster by Halloween to be safe as families begin to come together for the holidays.

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