Sources and updates, September 25
Sources and updates for the week of September 25 include new booster shot data, CDC funding for COVID-19 testing and genomic surveillance, Long COVID studies, and more.
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FAQ: BA.4 and BA.5, potentially the most transmissible Omicron subvariants yet
America’s current COVID-19 surge is being driven by BA.2 and its sublineage BA.2.12.1. But there are other versions of Omicron out there to which we need to pay attention—namely, BA.4 and BA.5. Here’s a brief FAQ on these two subvariants, including why scientists are concerned about them and where they’re spreading in the U.S.
Read MoreA BA.2 surge is approaching: Here’s what you should know about this variant
Europe’s new surge is likely due to European leaders’ decisions to end all COVID-19 safety measures in their countries, combined with the rise of Omicron sublineage BA.2. As BA.2 prevalence increases here in the U.S.—and our leaders also end safety measures—we seem poised to follow in Europe’s footsteps once again. But a BA.2 surge is likely to look different from the intense Omicron surge that we experienced in December and January, in part because of leftover immunity from that Omicron surge.
Read MorePandemic preparedness: Improving our data surveillance and communication
What has the U.S. learned from the last two years, and what lessons can we take forward for future COVID-19 surges and other infectious disease outbreaks? The Biden administration has released a new pandemic preparedness plan that addresses these questions.
Read MoreOmicron updates: BA.2, vaccine effectiveness, and more
Omicron updates for the week of February 13 include BA.2 estimates, vaccine effectiveness from a booster shot, COVID-19 in deer, and more.
Read MoreThe CDC is finally publishing wastewater data—but only ten states are well-represented
This week, the CDC added wastewater tracking to its COVID-19 data dashboard. Wastewater has been an important COVID-tracking tool throughout the pandemic, but it gained more public interest in recent months as Omicron’s rapid spread showed the utility of this early warning system. While the CDC’s new wastewater tracker offers a decent picture of national COVID-19 trends, it’s basically useless for local data in the majority of states.
Read MoreBA.2 FAQ: What you should know about this Omicron offshoot
An offshoot strain of the Omicron variant has been making headlines this week as it spreads rapidly in some European and Asian countries. While the strain, called BA.2 by virologists, has not yet been identified in the U.S. in large numbers, it’s already spreading here, too: scientists have picked it up in wastewater samples in some parts of the country.
Read MoreOmicron updates: Where will these massive case numbers leave us?
Omicron is now causing nearly 100% of new COVID-19 cases in the U.S. Major Omicron news items for this week include the potential peak of the U.S.’s surge and real-world data from the CDC on how well booster shots work against this variant.
Read MoreOmicron updates: Possible peaks, viral loads, vaccines
These update posts are getting shorter as time goes on, but we’re still learning about this variant! News items from this week include: Omicron now causing almost 100% of cases in the U.S., Northeast hotspots seem to be peaking, and more.
Read MoreOmicron updates: Spreading rapidly in the U.S.
WWe keep learning about this dangerous variant as it spreads through the U.S. and the world. A few major updates from this week include Omicron’s enormous potential for transmission and the U.S.’s lack of preparedness.
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