#delta variant in Europe

[mariacallous]

It’s scariant season—again.

A new offshoot of Omicron, BA.2.86—nicknamed Pirola—has popped up in Israel, the US, South Africa, and the UK after it was first recorded in Denmark in late July. Pirola initially set off alarm bells because it was spotted in four countries at the same time—and because, having majorly curtailed our viral surveillance systems, we don’t know how long it’s been making the rounds. Plus, the sheer number of mutations it has was reason enough to be spooked—BA.2.86 boasts more than 30 new mutations, compared to the most recently dominant variant, XBB.1.5.

“The only other time we’ve seen such a large genetic shift was the initial transition from Delta to Omicron, which led to the most hospitalizations and the most deaths of any surge in the pandemic,” says Dan Barouch, head of the vaccine research division at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. As a result, scientists across the world are scrambling to figure out whether BA.2.86 is indeed something to worry about.

Early studies suggest that Pirola isn’t much better at evading immunity than previous variants, despite all of its mutations. The protection offered by vaccines should hold up, and if you’ve been naturally exposed to the XBB variant, you should be better equipped to fight off this new variant.

Why is Pirola not very good at evading immunity, despite having undergone so many mutations? It’s likely that it evolved from BA.2, an older, more familiar form of Sars-CoV-2 that’s no longer circulating today, meaning that Pirola is less resistant to neutralization than more recent variants, such as XBB.1.5. But it’s possible that the variant may continue to evolve and change, Barouch warns, so staying vigilant will be key.

Determing whether it will take off and become the dominant form of the virus in circulation will require a “wait-and-see” approach, Barouch adds. “However, it does not appear to be spreading at the same pace as, say, the original BA.1 or BA.5,” he says, referring to two of the Omicron variants that spread particularly quickly.

Anna Bershteyn, an assistant professor and colead of the Covid modeling team at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, agrees: so far, so reassuring. “As far as we know, it doesn’t seem likely that this is going to be one of these huge waves of hospitalizations and deaths, the kind that have overwhelmed the health system in prior epidemic waves.”

In the UK, a care home in the east of England was invaded by the variant: 33 residents caught Covid, with 28 definitely infected with BA.2.86—suggesting that it’s pretty easily transmitted. But only two hospitalizations have been reported, which hints that Pirola doesn’t cause more severe disease than existing variants.

In certain parts of the world, its appearance has sparked action in the form of hastened booster programs. In the UK, the booster kick-off was rescheduled from October to within the next few weeks. In the US, the latest round of boosters is expected to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration very soon (although who should get one remains a source of debate). The findings of a recent preprint suggest that Moderna’s XBB.1.5 booster seems to work well against the BA.2.86 variant.

But while BA.2.86 may not yet be spreading rampantly, a Covid wave is indeed unfurling, with cases once again rising. In the US, hospitalizations are up, although they’re still nowhere near the sky-high levels they were at this time last year. Cases are also mushrooming in the UK and in Europe.

For now, BA.2.86’s spread is shaping up to be nothing like the Omicron wave that rocketed across the world at the end of 2021—the last time we saw such a big raft of Covid mutations appear. As one scientist put it, Pirola may be a “real nothingburger.”

[captainmdhridoyhossain-blog]

[ad_1] Regardless of the fast unfold of the Omicron variant, the U.S. economic system ended 2021 in robust form. Vacation spending rose via 8.5 consistent with cent in comparison with ultimate yr, consistent with a recent survey. Within the four-week duration that ended on December twenty fifth, preliminary unemployment insurance coverage averaged lower than 200 thousand per week, and reached the bottom degree in additional than a part century. In accordance with spectacular numbers like those, the Federal Reserve Financial institution of Atlanta estimates G.D.P. enlargement of seven.6 consistent with cent within the ultimate quarter of the yr, up from 2.3 consistent with cent within the 3rd quarter, when the Delta variant held again spending. The Convention Board, a industry analysis crew, reckons that over the entire of 2021 G.D.P. rose via 5.6 consistent with cent, which will be the absolute best price since 1984. What about emerging inflation? Those G.D.P. figures and projections are all adjusted for inflation: they account for emerging costs. If such signs end up proper, 2021 used to be the yr of the quickest financial enlargement since Ronald Reagan declared that it used to be “morning once more in The united states.”Most professional financial prognosticators suppose that 2022 will likely be every other robust yr of restoration from the virus-induced droop of 2020. The Convention Board is predicting enlargement of three.5 consistent with cent; Goldman Sachs is predicting 3.8 consistent with cent; Financial institution of The united states says 4 consistent with cent. If the economic system does extend via someplace between 3.5 and 4 consistent with cent, that will constitute a slowdown from 2021, however it will even be an overly robust economic system. Within the decade ahead of the pandemic, the once a year price of enlargement by no means reached 3 consistent with cent.There may be sure information in regards to the world supply-chain issues that experience contributed a great deal to surging inflation. Issues about vacation customers dealing with empty cabinets grew to become out to be in large part out of place. In Europe, factories reported that provide logjams eased for the second one month in a row. “Whilst shortages remained vital, the tip of the yr introduced with it some indicators that value pressures have eased,” Siân Jones, a senior economist on the knowledge company IHS Markit, advised the Wall Side road Magazine. In accordance with those tendencies, it's a long way from unthinkable that, via the second one part of this yr, with the midterm elections drawing near, inflation may decline in an atmosphere of forged G.D.P. enlargement and occasional unemployment.In fact, all financial forecasts will have to be handled skeptically. The constructive predictions for G.D.P. enlargement are in keeping with extrapolations from contemporary enjoy—on this case, top ranges of spending, robust hiring, and a whole lot of pent-up call for—after which making changes. In customary instances, that is an eminently cheap approach to pass about issues. The possible downside right here will have to be obtrusive: those aren’t customary instances. To borrow a word from the past due Donald Rumsfeld, there are “recognized unknowns” that would radically affect this yr’s financial result and November’s midterm elections.The primary recognized unknown is the virus. Maximum financial forecasters are assuming that the Omicron wave, just like the Delta wave, will recede ahead of too lengthy, leaving in the back of little lasting harm to the economic system. “Omicron may gradual financial reopening, however we predict just a modest drag on carrier spending as a result of home virus-control coverage and financial task have transform considerably much less delicate to virus unfold,” the commercial staff at Goldman Sachs stated, in unveiling its 2022 predictions. That evaluate may smartly change into correct—let’s hope it's—nevertheless it’s too quickly to mention.

Over the weekend, the seven-day reasonable of latest COVID circumstances set a file of greater than 400 thousand. Since Christmas Eve, unhealthy climate and Omicron have led to the cancellation of greater than fifteen thousand industrial flights. Within the ultimate week of December, the collection of other folks consuming at eating places used to be about thirty consistent with cent underneath the similar duration ultimate yr, consistent with knowledge from OpenTable.Despite the fact that the U.S. economic system does get during the Omicron wave somewhat unscathed, with few or no lockdowns, the brand new variant may impact manufacturing within the Chinese language economic system, which provides many parts and completed items to the U.S. China simply recorded the most important collection of weekly circumstances since suppressing the preliminary wave of the pandemic. The unfold of Omicron represents the most important problem but to Beijing’s “0 COVID” coverage. A call to fasten down massive portions of China’s economic system may exacerbate issues within the delivery chain. In a globalized economic system, no nation—even one as large and strong because the U.S.—exists in isolation.The second one large recognized unknown is financial coverage in Washington. It’s nonetheless unclear whether or not Democrats in Congress will have the ability to cobble in combination a brand new spending bundle from the unique parts of Joe Biden’s stalled Construct Again Higher plan. If they are able to’t, the failure can have a destructive affect on enlargement in 2022, nevertheless it most certainly received’t be large. The Convention Board estimates that passage of the proposal reviewed via the Congressional Finances Workplace would have raised G.D.P. via about 0.4 consistent with cent in 2022.The movements of the Federal Reserve—and the response to them on Wall Side road—may smartly be a larger consider figuring out how the economic system fares. In predicting enlargement this is nonetheless robust in 2022, economists are implicitly assuming that Jerome Powell and his colleagues will effectively engineer a “comfortable touchdown” for the economic system via easing the financial stimulus they offered in the beginning of the pandemic and making modest interest-rate hikes. This can be a defensible assumption, however it's not at all a trivial one. If inflation doesn’t fall as swiftly as was hoping, the Fed might lift charges extra aggressively—which might result in a large correction within the frothy markets, or perhaps a crash. Because the 2nd Global Warfare, maximum recessions had been caused by the Fed’s makes an attempt to decrease inflation.No one stated that guiding the economic system via a world pandemic can be simple. Virtually two years in, the policymakers at each ends of Charter Street have achieved a a lot better process than they're given credit score for via the general public. Absent the emergency measures they offered in 2020 and 2021, the commercial state of affairs can be a long way, a long way worse than it's. Regardless of Omicron, there's now flooring for optimism. However COVID isn’t achieved but. [ad_2] #Economic system #Sturdy #Beware #Unknowns

[lugastroy]

European Stock Market Modestly Up on Investor Optimism Ahead of Powell’s Testimony

The article reports on the European stock market’s performance, which saw modest gains on Tuesday. The market was largely driven by investor optimism ahead of Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell’s testimony before Congress. The pan-European STOXX 600 index was up 0.2%, while Germany’s DAX rose 0.3%, and France’s CAC 40 gained 0.2%.

Investors were waiting for Powell’s comments on the US economy, inflation, and the central bank’s policy stance. Powell’s testimony is expected to provide more clarity on the Fed’s timeline for tapering its massive asset purchase program and raising interest rates. This information could impact global markets, including European stocks.

In terms of sectoral performance, technology stocks were the top gainers, with the STOXX 600 technology index rising 0.8%. The sector was driven by gains in semiconductor manufacturers such as ASML, Infineon, and STMicroelectronics, which all rose more than 1%.

Meanwhile, the banking sector was among the biggest losers, with the STOXX 600 banking index falling 0.7%. This was largely due to lower bond yields, which could impact banks’ profitability. Lower yields also weighed on insurance stocks, with the STOXX 600 insurance index falling 0.5%.

In individual stock news, shares of UK-based food delivery platform Deliveroo fell 4.4% after the company reported widening losses. The company said that it expects demand for its services to slow as pandemic-related restrictions are lifted. On the other hand, German online fashion retailer Zalando gained 1.5% after reporting strong revenue growth in the second quarter of the year.

The article also notes that European markets are facing headwinds from concerns over the Delta variant of COVID-19, which could impact economic growth and corporate earnings. The World Health Organization has warned that the Delta variant is spreading rapidly across Europe, with some countries seeing a surge in cases. This has led to renewed restrictions in some regions, which could weigh on consumer spending and business activity.

In addition, the article highlights the ongoing tension between the US and China, which could also impact European markets. The US has imposed sanctions on Chinese companies over alleged human rights abuses, while China has responded by threatening retaliation. These tensions could impact global trade and economic growth, which would in turn impact European markets. Read more.

#EuropeanStockMarket #Investing #FederalReserve #JeromePowell #TechnologyStocks #BankingSector #InsuranceStocks #COVID19 #DeltaVariant #USChinaTensions

[noir-2022]

The Airbus A321 is a Popular Choice for American Airlines Flights

Whether you're on the move to Asia, Australia, or Europe, the Airbus A321 is a popular choice for American Airlines flights. This aircraft is spacious, comfortable, and offers a variety of entertainment options.

Seats

AA Airbus A321 seating is designed to suit all passengers. Whether you're traveling in Economy, First, or Business Class, you'll enjoy comfortable seats with a high viewing angle. You can also hold your luggage on your knees. You can also enjoy a sliding screen that can be closed for privacy. You can also use DC power outlets to charge your smart devices.

American Airlines has introduced a new premium economy seat that offers extra privacy and more personal storage. The seat features a center console, large middle armrests, and a winged headrest. It also has a sliding screen that can be closed to create more privacy when traveling alone.

The aircraft also has a new suite called the Flagship Suite. It will be retrofitted to 16 A321T aircraft starting in 2024. This suite features a bistro table near the door, tray tables under the IFE, and privacy doors.

Cabins

AA's new aircraft will be fitted with a new Premium Economy product, but it's not the biggest news around. American has been flying a variety of seat styles, from Safran Concept D to a recently introduced seat from Delta.

One of the newest additions to the American Airlines aircraft fleet is the Airbus A321neo, which is the airline's first A321 in the biz. The new aircraft is a variant of the A320 family, and offers several new features. Some of the most notable upgrades include an upgraded engine, Sharklets wingtip devices, USB power for all seats, mood lighting and an improved range.

The new A321neo also features a new Premium Economy product that is likely to be a popular choice with travelers who don't want to shell out for business class. In fact, half of the economy seats will feature an extra legroom configuration, which will make boarding and exiting the aircraft much more comfortable.

Legroom

Depending on your plane, the Airbus A321 has 3 different cabin configurations. These include the standard seats, the First Class section and the Main Cabin Extra.

The standard seats on an A321 are located in the first row. They offer limited recline and legroom. However, these seats are close to the toilet and the galley. In addition, these seats have only 16.3 to 17.7 inches of seat width.

The First Class section on the A321 is arranged in 4 rows, which provides a more comfortable seating experience. The seats on this aircraft feature a narrow overhead storage compartment. They also have good legroom and top notch feeding. However, the seatback mechanism on this aircraft is limited.

The Main Cabin Extra on an A321 has 47 seats. This section offers extra legroom and early boarding. Some of these seats also offer perks such as snacks and drinks. The best seats are located in the 8th and 12th rows.

First class

Currently, American Airlines operates two aircraft with first class cabins, the Airbus A321 and the Boeing 737-800. These aircraft are used on premium transcontinental routes between New York and the West Coast. The A321 is the more modern of the two and has been designed with a five-row 2-2 configuration.

The Airbus A321 Transcontinental aircraft (A321T) is designed with fully lie-flat seats in both First and Business Class. It flies transcontinental routes between New York and Los Angeles/San Francisco. It has 16 seats in First Class and 20 in Business Class. It features a 15.4'' touchscreen in the Business Class cabin. It also offers direct aisle access for First Class passengers. It offers 180 TV programs and 350 audio selections.

The A321T is a very efficient plane and it is equipped with a Runway Overrun Prevention System. It also offers an upgraded ATG-4 Wi-Fi service. It has individual AC power outlets at every seat.

Economy

Fortunately, American Airlines has a nice selection of A321 aircraft for customers to choose from. In fact, it operates four different A321-200 arrangements. The A321 is a relative of the 757 in terms of passenger capacity. The plane has a streamlined business class section as well as a plethora of premium economy cabins. A handful of A321T aircraft also make the cut, albeit for selected transcontinental routes.

American is a heavy hitter when it comes to in-flight entertainment. They have a plethora of free perks including the ever-present Wi-Fi hotspot, which thankfully isn't on every flight. They also offer free snacks and drinkables for the cost of a boarding pass. They even have a business class lounge at some airports. They've been known to have some of the most comfy seats in the business.

[whatsonmedia]

Covid is on the Rise again in Europe!

A new wave of Covid-19 cases appears to be spreading in Europe. The World Health Organisation (WHO) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) published new data on Wednesday that showed Europe recorded an 8% rise in the week ending October 2. The WHO and ECDC noted that millions of people across Europe have yet to be vaccinated against Covid-19. They urged European countries to administer both flu and Covid vaccines ahead of an expected surge in cases of seasonal influenza. This comes as China's financial capital Shanghai reported 38 positive cases from the same quarantine, thereby imposing another lockdown ahead of the CCP Congress, the most important political event of the country held once every five years. Covid-19 cases have started ticking up across Europe."Although we are not where we were one year ago, it is clear that the Covid-19 pandemic is still not over," WHO's Europe director, Hans Kluge, and ECDC's director, Andrea Ammon, said in a joint statement. Last week a health official in France said the country had entered an eighth wave of the virus. "Yes we are in the eighth wave", said Brigitte Autran, who is a member of the government's vaccination strategic board. Ms Austran added: "all the indicators are on the up". France's coronavirus figures published on October 3 showed that the seven-day average of daily new cases had reached 45,631, its highest level since August 2. Covid on the rise A word from the Regional Director of Europe "At this time last year, WHO/Europe spoke about a new wave of COVID-19 sweeping across the Region, driven by the Delta variant amid the lifting of restrictions and increased social mixing.  It’s now abundantly clear we’re in a similar situation to last summer – only this time the ongoing COVID-19 wave is being propelled by sub-lineages of the Omicron variant, notably BA.2 and BA.5, with each dominant sub-lineage of Omicron showing clear transmission advantages over the previously circulating viruses.  This forecast presents a huge challenge to the health workforce in country after country, already under enormous pressure from dealing with unrelenting crises since 2020.  Consider the current situation: The European Region has seen a tripling of new COVID-19 cases over the past 6 weeks, with close to 3 million new cases reported last week, accounting for nearly half of all new cases globally. While hospitalization rates due to COVID-19 have doubled in the same period, intensive care unit admissions have so far remained relatively low. Statics about the Covid rise The strategy calls on countries to relaunch mitigation efforts and be ready to respond to an increased burden on their healthcare systems. The consistent application of the following 5 pandemic stabilizers will continue to be critical to protect people this autumn and winter:    - increasing vaccine uptake in the general population;   - administering a second booster dose to immunocompromised people aged 5 and above and their close contacts, and considering offering a second booster to specific at-risk groups, at least 3 months after their last dose; - promoting mask-wearing indoors and on public transportation; - ventilating crowded and public spaces (such as schools, offices and public transport); and  - applying rigorous therapeutic protocols for those at risk of severe disease. "  How cases have been increasing Read the full article

[bna1333]

New COVID-19 cases in US soar to highest levels on record

 CHICAGO (AP) — More than a year after the vaccine was rolled out, new cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. have soared to their highest level on record at over 265,000 per day on average, a surge driven largely by the highly contagious omicron variant.

 New cases per day have more than doubled over the past two weeks, eclipsing the old mark of 250,000, set in mid-January, according to data kept by Johns Hopkins University.

 The fast-spreading mutant version of the virus has cast a pall over Christmas and New Year’s, forcing communities to scale back or call off their festivities just weeks after it seemed as if Americans were about to enjoy an almost normal holiday season. Thousands of flights have been canceled amid staffing shortages blamed on the virus.

 Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious-disease expert, said Wednesday that there is no need to cancel small home gatherings among vaccinated and boosted family and friends.

But “if your plans are to go to a 40- to 50-person New Year’s Eve party with all the bells and whistles and everybody hugging and kissing and wishing each other a happy new year, I would strongly recommend that this year we not do that,” he said.

 The threat of omicron and the desire to spend the holidays with friends and loved ones have spurred many Americans to get tested for COVID-19.

 Aravindh Shankar, 24, flew to San Jose, California, on Christmas from West Lafayette, Indiana, to be with family. Though he felt fine, he decided to get tested Wednesday just to play it safe, since he had been on an airplane.

 He and his family spent almost an entire day searching for a testing appointment for him before he went to a site in a parking lot next to the San Jose airport.

 “It was actually surprisingly hard,” Shankar said about trying to find a test. “Some people have it harder for sure.”

 The picture is grim elsewhere around the world, especially in Europe, with World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus saying he is worried about omicron combining with the delta variant to produce a “tsunami” of cases. That, he said, will put “immense pressure on exhausted health workers and health systems on the brink of collapse.”

 The number of Americans now in the hospital with COVID-19 is running at around 60,000, or about half the figure seen in January, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.

 While hospitalizations sometimes lag behind cases, the hospital figures may reflect both the protection conferred by the vaccine and the possibility that omicron is not making people as sick as previous versions.

 COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. have climbed over the past two weeks from an average of 1,200 per day to around 1,500.

 Public health experts will be closely watching the numbers in the coming week for indications of the vaccines’ effectiveness in preventing serious illness, keeping people out of the hospital and relieving strain on exhausted health care workers, said Bob Bednarczyk, a professor of global health and epidemiology at Emory University.

 CDC data already suggests that the unvaccinated are hospitalized at much higher rates than those who have gotten inoculated, even if the effectiveness of the shots decreases over time, he said.

 “If we’re able to weather this surge with hopefully minimal disruptions to the overall health care system, that is a place where vaccines are really showing their worth,” Bednarczyk said.

 It’s highly unlikely that hospitalization numbers will ever rise to their previous peak, said Amesh Adalja, senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security at the Bloomberg School Public Health. Vaccines and treatments developed since last year have made it easier to curb the spread of the virus and minimize serious effects among people with breakthrough infections.

 “Its going to take some time for people to get attuned to the fact that cases don’t matter the same way they did in the past,” Adalja said. “We have a lot of defense against it.”

 But even with fewer people hospitalized compared with past surges, the virus can wreak havoc on hospitals and health care workers, he added.

 “In a way, those hospitalizations are worse because they’re all preventable,” he said.

 Several European countries, including France, Greece, Britain and Spain, also reported record case counts this week, prompting a ban on music at New Year’s celebrations in Greece and a renewed push to encourage vaccination by French authorities.

 WHO reported that new COVID-19 cases worldwide increased 11% last week from the week before, with nearly 4.99 million recorded Dec. 20-26. But the U.N. health agency also noted a decline in cases in South Africa, where omicron was first detected just over a month ago.

 ___ Associated Press writer Terry Tang in San Jose, California, contributed to this report.

[talltalestogo]

I CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE I

Two new Omicron variants are spreading. Will they drive a new U.S. surge?

The subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 may dodge immunity, especially in unvaccinated people, possibly causing a spike in infections worldwide.

New versions of Omicron are again causing a surge of COVID-19 cases in South Africa, and studies show that these new subvariants are so different from the original version of Omicron that immunity generated from a previous infection may not provide much protection.

Dubbed BA.4 and BA.5, the new subvariants are nearly identical to each other, and both are more transmissible than the Omicron BA.2 subvariant. In South Africa, they replaced the BA.2 strain in less than a month. They are now responsible for a spike in South Africa’s COVID-19 cases, which have tripled since mid-April.

“If you were unvaccinated, what you got is almost no immunity to BA.4 and BA.5,” says Alex Sigal, a virologist at the Africa Health Research Institute and at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. “There might be some immunity that may be enough to protect against severe disease, but not sufficient to protect against symptomatic infection.”

South Africa is the worst hit country on the continent, with more than 100,523 official deaths from COVID-19—and that’s likely a gross underestimate according to a recent study in The Lancet. With BA.4 and BA.5 now on the rise, the death toll is likely to grow, as only a third of the South African population has received a COVID-19 vaccine; the rate of vaccination is even lower in the rest of Africa.

For now, the subvariant known as BA.2.12.1 remains dominant in the U.S., causing new hospitalizations to spike in the last week by more than 17 percent nationally and by as much as 28 percent in the Great Lakes area, and Washington D.C. and the surrounding region. But the new subvariants have spread to more than 20 countries across North America, Asia, and Europe, and already 19 cases of BA.4 and six cases of BA.5 have been identified in the U.S.

HOW ARE BA.4 AND BA.5 DIFFERENT FROM OTHER OMICRON VARIANTS?

South Africa has become a bright spot within Africa for sequencing samples of SARS-CoV-2. This swift sequencing was critical in alerting the world in December 2021 to the discovery and surge of the original Omicron strain, called BA.1. Now the same team has discovered BA.4 and BA.5.

“The BA.4 and BA.5 sub-variants were identified because South Africa is still doing the vital genetic sequencing that many other countries have stopped doing,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director General of the World Health Organization, at a press conference on May 4. “In many countries we’re essentially blind to how the virus is mutating. We don’t know what’s coming next.”

That sequencing has revealed that for both BA.4 and BA.5, the spike protein is similar to the one in BA.2, except for six mutations. The spike protein is the part of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that anchors to receptors on human respiratory cells and allows the virus to infect the cell.

“The three modifications present in the spike of BA.4 and BA.5, compared to BA.2, are most likely associated to antibody escape and improved viral fitness and binding to the ACE2 receptor,” says Olivier Schwartz, head of the Virus and Immunity Unit at Institut Pasteur in France.

Two of the changes on the spike can make these viruses more infectious, says Ravindra Gupta, an immunologist and infectious diseases specialist at the University of Cambridge in the U.K. as shown by his previous research. The upside is that these same mutations make it easy for researchers to rapidly distinguish the new subvariants from BA.2 in a standard PCR test.

Another mutation present in BA.4 and BA.5 is also found in other variants of concern, including Delta, Kappa, and Epsilon. It increases infectivity and weakens immunity from existing antibodies, according to a preliminary study from China.

The Chinese study also shows that a rare change seen before only 54 times among 10 million viral sequences helps BA.4 and BA.5 to evade BA.1-specific antibodies. This same mutation also enabled SARS-CoV-2 to infect mink and ferrets during April 2020 outbreaks in mink farms.

In addition to these spike protein mutations, BA.4 and BA.5 also have small changes in viral proteins whose exact function are not well known.

WHERE DID BA.4 AND BA.5 EVOLVE?

A preliminary genetic analysis estimates that the new subvariants may have originated in South Africa at around the same time as other Omicron variants, in mid-December 2021 and early January 2022, respectively. But scientists don’t yet know their origin for sure.

“BA.4 and BA.5 may well have originated from the same kind of common source as BA.1, BA.2, and BA.3, but it's not certain,” says Richard Lessells, an infectious diseases doctor at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban, South Africa. He is part of the nation’s sequencing team that discovered all of these Omicron variants.

Possible routes of evolution may have been an animal host, such as a mouse; or it may have gestated in some immunocompromised patients, as has been shown to occur through accumulation of mutations during a chronic infection by Gupta.

“The alternative is that BA.4 and BA.5 may have evolved from BA.2,” says Lessells.

BA.4 AND BA.5 DODGE PREVIOUS IMMUNITY

In the first study of BA4 and BA.5 on immunity, which has not yet been peer reviewed, scientists led by Sigal, of the Africa Health Research Institute, isolated live viruses from nasal swabs. The scientists then ran tests to see whether antibodies from unvaccinated and vaccinated people who had been infected with the original Omicron BA.1 strain just a few months ago were able to neutralize these new variants. Sigal’s team discovered that these antibodies weren’t able to protect against symptomatic infection.

That’s concerning, because in low- and middle-income countries less than one in six people have yet received a single dose of any COVID-19 vaccine. Even in the United States, nearly 23 percent of the population remains unvaccinated.

“BA.4/5 data are interesting and somewhat surprising,” says Gupta, referring to the sharp decline in immunity seen in studies so far. “It is greater than I would have predicted,” he says. “It may be that [the] biology of this virus has completely changed in terms of how quickly it's able to evolve.”

The South African study does have some good news for vaccinated people: “We found that you get a lot of protection from vaccines, even if you got infected with Omicron despite being vaccinated—a lot more protection than if you weren't vaccinated going forward,” says Sigal.

Sigal’s study also suggests that BA.4 and BA.5 may cause less severe disease, especially among vaccinated people, compared to previous Omicron variants. This may explain why fewer people seem to be getting severe disease despite the rise in COVID-19 hospitalizations in South Africa. The median length of hospitalization also appears to be shorter, but deaths due to COVID-19 are rising faster in patients of older age.

“BA.4/5 data do reinforce the need for boosters in vulnerable people to keep the antibody levels high,” says Gupta.

In the meantime, Moderna has published data on its new mRNA-1273.211 candidate booster vaccine—which mixes ancestral spike protein with a mimic of the Beta variant spike. Although not yet peer reviewed, the results seem to show superior protection for up to six months even against the Omicron variant.

“Vaccines are designed to prevent severe disease, to keep us out of hospital and off the ventilator,” says Lessells. “And they are still doing that extremely well, in the face of all these different variants.”

_

[visonews]

COVID-19: Delta variant is infecting vaccinated people, says Israel

COVID-19: Delta variant is infecting vaccinated people, says Israel

As Israel deals with a surge in cases caused by the Delta variant, health officials have suggested that up to half of new cases could be among the vaccinated. Fully vaccinated people who come into contact with the Delta variant will be quarantined, according to Chezy Levy, the director-general of Israel’s health ministry. Also read | Israel eases coronavirus restrictions amid nationwide…

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#Angela Merkel #coronavirus in Europe #countries #Delta variant #Delta variant in Europe #Delta variant in UK #global #WHO #wionews.com #World News

[sleepysera]

Jun 26 Headlines

WORLD NEWS

Australia: Sydney lockdown extended as Delta outbreak grows (BBC)

"The Australian city of Sydney has gone into a two-week lockdown after a rise in the number of coronavirus cases. More than one million people in central and eastern suburbs were already under restrictions imposed on Friday following a jump in cases. More than 80 cases of the highly infectious Delta variant were confirmed in the city in recent days."

France: Valérie Bacot, who killed abusive husband, walks free after sentencing (CNN)

"A Frenchwoman who admitted to killing her husband after nearly two decades of abuse left court a free woman on Friday evening to loud applause from well-wishers -- concluding her ordeal that has appalled many in France. Valérie Bacot was sentenced to four years in prison, with three of those years suspended. She was released because she had already spent a year in prison, Bacot's lawyer, Nathalie Tomasini, said outside the Chalon-sur-Saone court in France."

Colombia: President Iván Duque's helicopter hit by gunfire (BBC)

"Gunfire has hit a helicopter carrying the president of Colombia as it flew near the border with Venezuela. A spokesman for the presidency said nobody had been hurt in the incident. Mr Duque denounced the 'cowardly attack' and said he was not frightened 'by violence or acts of terrorism'."

US NEWS

Florida Building Collapse: Report from 2018 warned of 'major damage' (BBC)

"The engineer's report, which has just been made public, said the fault prevented water draining from the base of the seafront Champlain Towers. Part of the building collapsed on Thursday while many residents slept. Hopes are fading for the 159 people still unaccounted for. So far, four deaths have been confirmed."

Trump: Targeting GOP impeachment voter at Ohio revenge rally (AP)

"Former President Donald Trump will return to the rally stage this weekend, holding his first campaign-style event since leaving the White House as he makes good on his pledge to exact revenge on those who voted for his historic second impeachment."

US Congress: 5 ways Congress is trying to rein in Big Tech (AP)

"Groundbreaking legislation is advancing in Congress that would curb the market power of tech giants Facebook, Google, Amazon and Apple and could force them to untie their dominant platforms from their other lines of business. Hostility toward Big Tech has grown in recent years with the belief that its size and swagger have stifled competition, limited consumer choice and raised prices."

#current events #news #australia #sydney #covid #delta variant #pandemic #coronavirus #france #valerie bacot #abuse #tw #colombia #ivan duque #latin america #europe #united states #florida #miami #trump #gop #politics #ohio #us congress #big tech

[kwttoday]

'Delmicron' to be blamed for the surge in U.S. and Europe

‘Delmicron’ to be blamed for the surge in U.S. and Europe

‘Delmicron’ to be blamed for the surge in U.S. and Europe Delmicron is a combination the Delta and Omicron variants. According to a report in Times of India, the twin spikes in the Delta and Omicron variants is what is driving a “Tsunami” of Covid19 cases in the West.  Delmicron is the double variant of Covid19 that is spreading increasingly in the West. This name has been derived by combining…

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#&039;Delmicron&039; to be blamed for the surge in U.S. and Europe #covid19 latest news #covid19 vaccine latest news #covid19 vaccine news #delmicron #delmicron covid19 #delta covid variant #delta covid variiant #delta variant #delta variant news #delta variant uk news #Omicron Variant #Omicron Variant africa #Omicron Variant news #Omicron Variant spread

[indiarightnow]

Boosters short: On third COVID-19 vaccination dose

Boosters short: On third COVID-19 vaccination dose

Availability, coverage, and scientific evidence should decide approval of booster shots On November 22, the Director-General, ICMR, said that there was no scientific evidence thus far to administer a booster vaccine dose to fully vaccinated people. The priority instead was to increase the percentage of people who are vaccinated with two doses. The Health Minister too said the priority was on…

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#age groups most vulnerable to disease #approval of booster shots #availability #Boosters short #Comorbidities #covaxin #coverage #Covishield #Delta variant-driven second wave #Director General #disease severity #door-to-door vaccination campaign #editorial #europe #fully vaccinated people #Global South #Health Minister #health-care workers #ICMR #immunising adolescents #immunocompromised #increased vaccine uptake #India #moderate or severe disease #new variant with higher transmissibility #omicron variant #scientific evidence #scientific recommendations #south africa #symptomatic infection

[carlocarrasco]

COVID-19 Crisis: Omicron-related fear and panic cause several governments to enact mandatory vaccinations

COVID-19 Crisis: Omicron-related fear and panic cause several governments to enact mandatory vaccinations

The fear and panic over Omicron is still strong and already several government units reacted heading towards the enactment of mandatory vaccinations, according to a recent CBN News report. To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the statement published by CBN News. Some parts in boldface… The World Health Organization admits there has yet to be a single death from the…

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#America #Anthony Fauci #Bill de Blasio #Carlo Carrasco #CBN News #China virus #Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) #City of New York #COVID-19 #COVID-19 booster #COVID-19 Crisis #COVID-19 vaccine #Delta coronavirus variant (B1617) #Delta variant #Democrats #disease #diversity #Europe #European Union (EU) #fear #fully vaccinated #governance #government #health #Inclusion #journalism #liberal #liberal media #liberals #mainstream media

[ottoline-otter]

lmao bbc news is literally putting up propoganda about how the uk is apparently handling the covid situation better than europe right now because they had less restrictions in early autumn so apparently everyone's immune now. they're literally THIS close to claiming that the uk's achieved "herd immunity"

(x)

#it's carefully worded but it just reads SO much like propoganda to me somehow #and maybe i'm reading too much into it. maybe letting us all be infected by the delta variant over the summer WAS a careful decision #planned ahead by our superior top scientists blah blah blah #but i just hate how smug they're being just because the uk happens to have less infections than the rest of europe right now #can't wait for it to suddenly flip JUST when i come back to the uk for christmas and to have to go into lockdown again #because it turns out the british government ARE just stupid after all

[pandoras-pandemonium]

#covid 19 2021 #europe #delta variant