With BA.2.12.1 now dominant in US, experts eye new subvariants BA.4 and BA.5

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the dominant version of the coronaviruses in the US is Omicron subvariant BA.2 with an estimated 59 percent of cases. The reign may end as quickly as it began with another wave of omicron subvariants threatening to cause more breakthrough infections.

BA.2 has an advantage over BA.1 that caused a huge surge of US cases in January. BA.2 accounted for 76 percent of US cases at its peak. The first branch of the BA.2.12 line was named BA.2.10, which is the 12th line.

In April, when BA.2 peaked, it accounted for 18 percent of cases. It reached 43 percent prevalence by the middle of May and has since overtaken BA.2 which accounts for 35 percent of cases. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Northwest is the only part of the country that is not dominated by BA.

Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 are gaining ground. Less than 2% of cases were accounted for by BA.4 and BA.5 in May. The latest figures from the CDC show that they are now accounting for at least 6 percent.

Heirs apparent

There was a huge wave of infections in South Africa in April and May, caused by BA.4 and BA.5. BA.4 and BA.5 have different genetic blueprints, but they share the same spikeProtein. The prime target of vaccine- and infection-based immune responses is the spike protein, which is used to latch onto human Cells.

There are a lot of unattractive qualities in BA.4 and BA.5. Recent analyses show that the duo has a clear transmission advantage over the other team. There is a chance that they could cause another wave of infections by overcoming BA. 2.12.1 in the US.

The previous reigning subvariant, BA.2, was reported to have been better at replicating in human lung cells than the other three. The disease in hamsters caused by BA.4 and BA.5 is more severe than that caused by BA.2 and BA. 2.12.1.

The study found that BA.4 and BA.5 can evade neutralizing antibodies. It's possible that people who have recovered from previous infections don't have optimal protection.

According to a recent preprint study by researchers at Columbia University, BA.4 and BA.5 are better at disrupting the immune system than BA.2 and BA.2.10. It was found that BA.2.12.1 was more resistant to the immune system than BA.2. Both BA.4 and BA.5 were 4.2 times more resistant. The rise of BA.4 and BA.5 is likely to lead to more breakthrough infections.