In South Africa, a network of researchers is studying whether lineages BA.4 and BA.5 escape immunity from COVID-19 vaccines and previous infections.
Tulio de Oliveira’s team at Stellenbosch University in South Africa discovered the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants of Omicron.Speckled guineafowl drift into the garden where Tulio de Oliveira sits as he describes two new members of the growing Omicron family of SARS-CoV-2 coronaviruses. Called BA.4 and BA.
At the same time, researchers are grappling with how to openly communicate their concerns and the uncertainty about variants while not provoking unnecessary government policies and anxiety. Late last year, when de Oliveira’s team detected the original Omicron variant, some countries — including the United States and the United Kingdom — imposed travel bans against South Africa. The bans failed to prevent the variant’s spread, but severely damaged the already struggling South African economy.
In addition to the accumulating sequences from South Africa, a few BA.4 sequences from Botswana, Belgium, Denmark and the United Kingdom have been uploaded to the data platform GISAID in the past two weeks, and BA.5 sequences from China, France, Germany and Portugal have appeared there too. At the time, Lee was relieved that the mutation was vanishingly rare in real life, suggesting that it hindered the virus in some way. Only about 50 of the nearly 10 million SARS-CoV-2 sequences in GISAID contained the mutation, so Lee felt assured that the antibody treatment would still be broadly useful. But with the rapid rise of BA.4 and BA.5 in South Africa, it seems that the coronavirus has evolved so that the mutation no longer holds it back, Lee explains.
Brasil Últimas Notícias, Brasil Manchetes
Similar News:Você também pode ler notícias semelhantes a esta que coletamos de outras fontes de notícias.
Are new Omicron subvariants a threat? Here’s how scientists are keeping watchIn South Africa, a network of researchers is studying whether lineages BA.4 and BA.5 escape immunity from COVID-19 vaccines and previous infections.
Consulte Mais informação »
As original omicron variant disappears in U.S., these are the BA.2 subvariant's key differencesAll versions of the omicron variant seem to cause similar coldlike symptoms among vaccinated and boosted people. A runny nose is the most common.
Consulte Mais informação »
New omicron variant, BA.2.12.1, beginning to spread in U.S.NEW VARIANT - The CDC is now tracking another subvariant of omicron -- BA.2.12.1. The new variant is outpacing other variants, particularly in central New York state.
Consulte Mais informação »
‘I am everything’: Janelle Monáe confirms she’s nonbinary in new interview“I just don’t see myself as a woman, solely,” the actor and musician said in a recent interview on Jada Pinkett Smith’s talk show.
Consulte Mais informação »