Sources and updates, July 3
Sources and updates for the week of July 3 include race and ethnicity data, COVID-19 spread from a cat, and more.
Read MoreTag: genomic surveillance
As Omicron keeps mutating, variant surveillance remains important
Sharing perspectives from three variant experts on how to keep monitoring the way that SARS-CoV-2 is mutating, as bonus material from a recent story about BA.4 and BA.5.
Read MoreFAQ: 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 MoreMore Omicron mutation in South Africa and the U.S.
As cases rise in the U.S. and other parts of the world, Omicron subvariants are a continued culprit. Experts are watching closely to see if further mutations of the virus may become even more contagious, or may gain the ability to evade immunity from prior infections and vaccinations.
Read MoreHow one wastewater plant became a leading COVID-19 forecasting source
This week, I had a new story published with FiveThirtyEight and the Documenting COVID-19 project about the data and implementation challenges of wastewater surveillance. As bonus material in today’s COVID-19 Data Dispatch, I wanted to share one of the interviews I did for the story, which provides a good case study of the benefits and challenges of COVID-19 surveillance in wastewater.
Read MoreSources and updates, April 17
Sources and updates for the week of April 17 include two reports on wastewater surveillance, SARS-CoV-2 in animals, COVID-19 impacts by income, and more.
Read MoreThe US still doesn’t have the data we need to make informed decisions on booster shots
Last fall, I wrote that the U.S. did not have the data we needed to make informed decisions about booster shots. Several months later, we still don’t have the data we need, as questions about a potential BA.2 wave and other future variants abound. Discussions at a recent FDA advisory committee meeting made these data gaps clear.
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.
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