A new COVID strain started to create waves among virus trackers this week, more than any other variant of interest scientists are tracking in the U.S.
According to new data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the variant is composed of 1.7% of the total number of infections in the U.S. The BA.5 variant is currently holding the top spot with 85% of infections.
The field of Omicron subvariants is getting more crowded and scientists are taking notice. They have been watching BA.25 as a variant of interest that could surge this fall. It was surpassed this week by BF.7
In other countries it has taken off, but it is only starting to grow in the U.S.
Updated fit of global SARS-CoV2 lineage frequencies based on all @GISAID + @CovidGenomicsUK data, now with BF.7 / BA.5.2.1.7 represented separately. BA.2.75 still predicted to overtake in many places, but BA.5.2.1.7 has similar advantage over plain BA.5, so different outcomes.🧵 pic.twitter.com/ThB42hdBHO
— Tom Wenseleers (@TWenseleers) August 21, 2022
Belgium has seen 25% of the cases identified worldwide. According to cov-lineages.org, France has seen 10% of the world's identified cases so far.
The new subvariant was first reported by the CDC as part of a case of BA.5. According to Fortune, the CDC recently broke it out into its own category when cases topped 1%.
The same growth advantage in multiple countries makes it reasonable to believe that BF.7 is gaining a foothold. Unless they have an advantage, children of variant don't grow like their parents.
He said that so far all Omicron subvariants have had the same severity.
Other Omicron strains have a feature that allows it to enter cells. There is a change in the nucleotide sequence that could cause it to behave differently than other subvariants. Ray said that the extent to which it will deviate is unknown.
According to Ray, Covid is evolving to be more immune evasive. He wouldn't be surprised to see a new variant this autumn.
He said that it had been awhile since they went from Alpha to Delta. It's possible that we may be lulled into a false sense of security. This may be feeding into the idea that this is over.
There could be a rough fall and winter due to the tangle of Omicron spawns.
What is his advice? You need to get your booster. The epidemic isn't over.
He said that there were people who thought COVID would end by Easter of last year.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
