As BA.2 subvariant of Omicron rises, lab studies point to signs of severity

[swag]

Source: CNN

(CNN)The BA.2 virus -- a subvariant of the Omicron coronavirus variant -- isn't just spreading faster than its distant cousin, it may also cause more severe disease and appears capable of thwarting some of the key weapons we have against Covid-19, new research suggests.

New lab experiments from Japan show that BA.2 may have features that make it as capable of causing serious illness as older variants of Covid-19, including Delta.

And like Omicron, it appears to largely escape the immunity created by vaccines. A booster shot restores protection, making illness after infection about 74% less likely.

BA.2 is also resistant to some treatments, including sotrovimab, the monoclonal antibody that's currently being used against Omicron.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/17/health/ba-2-covid-severity/index.html

[multigraincracker]

1. I'm prepared with lots of practice of

sheltering in place. Kind of fits me.

[pazzyanne]

20. Same here! nt

[a kennedy]

2. Noooooooooooooooooooooo not another one. 🤬 🤬 🤬

[empedocles]

4. Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. With all the mask, etc. relaxation - this could be really bad

[NQAS]

25. Still wearing my mask

And will continue. Just makes sense.

[empedocles]

39. Same here. Wear gloves to gym, with good distancing.

[wnylib]

31. Just gets worser and worser, doesn't it?

[cilla4progress]

3. Anyone hearing about additional

boosters?

[msongs]

6. a 4th booster is given to those with immunity related issues nt

[ShazzieB]

7. No, but I want one.

I want ALL the boosters. Turn me into a pincushion, I don't care. That's how effing sick and tired and terrified I am of this effing plague!

I hate Covid and I HATE HATE HATE people who refuse to get vaccinated and help stop this thing.*

*I'm not talking about people who can't get vaccinated for legitimate medical reasons. I'm talking about those who CAN get vaccinated but refuse to do so.

[Sapient Donkey]

9. When they say these variants escape the immunity caused by the vaccines

would that also apply to the boosters?

[LymphocyteLover]

29. the boosters generally help produce antibodies that still work with the variants

[birdographer]

5. This is never going to end, is it? n/t

[aggiesal]

22. Not as long as there are 30% unvaccinated ...

And it's not that they don't want to get vaccinated, at this point it appears to be just conservatives that don't want to make Biden look good in any way.
If Pendejo45 was still pResident, those 30% would be vaccinated.

[Sapient Donkey]

8. I wonder what the status of that US Army universal coronavirus vaccine is.

I didn't get a sense that it was just vaporware when it was initially reported.

[hamsterjill]

13. Same here.

I thought since it was Army (Walter Reed) that it had merit. There’s been no update that I know of.

[DENVERPOPS]

17. Any one here know if

USAMRID still exists?????????? If it does exist, it would be most interesting to know what they are doing during this pandemic....

[monkeyman1]

19. go to ---SpFN covid 19 tracker - ----- this army command info site ! all I can find !

[DENVERPOPS]

23. Thx Mm nc

[ramen]

28. This is the most recent article I have seen about it:

[link:https://www.theweek.co.uk/news/world-news/955720/variant-proof-covid-19-vaccine|

If it pans out, it will change the game.

[DarthDem]

10. As Often Happens, the Article Is Less Alarming than the Headline and the Opening Statements

Also from the article:

But, there's mixed evidence on the severity of BA.2 in the real world. Hospitalizations continue to decline in countries where BA.2 has gained a foothold, like South Africa and the UK.

[ . . . ]

But there was a bright spot: Antibodies in the blood of people who'd recently had Omicron also seemed to have some protection against BA.2, especially if they'd also been vaccinated. And that raises an important point, Fuller says. Even though BA.2 seems more contagious and pathogenic than Omicron, it may not wind up causing a more devastating wave of Covid-19 infections.

"One of the caveats that we have to think about as we get new variants that might seem more dangerous is the fact that there's two sides to the story," Fuller says The virus matters, she says, but as its would-be hosts, so do we. "Our immune system is evolving as well. And so that's pushing back on things," she said.

[progree]

18. Hospitalizations rising strongly in Denmark but ICU has been declining, then abt level for 12 days

Google:
"denmark covid hospitalizations"
without the quotes

A graph appears at the top showing both overall covid hospitalizations and also ICU occupancy.

ICU use fell by more than half from about Jan 10 (when it was 78) to 30 on Feb 4, and that's where it is on Feb 16, the latest. This in a country of 5.8 million, so an ICU occuancy rate of 5.2 per million.

[wnylib]

34. Could the differences in some populations be

due to genetic differences? Or to the types of vaccines used in some locations?

[iluvtennis]

11. The spread was of this virus won't stop until 70/80% of

the world population is vaccinated. We are gonna have to learn to live with it.

My opinion only.

[madville]

47. Yeah, Africa is only around 12% vaccinated

New variants will be coming out of there for years to come.

[greatauntoftriplets]

12. And that's why I'm going to continue to wear a mask.

[angrychair]

14. They just announced mask lifting here in WA

Really worried. Especially since the BA.2 is going to have field of unmasked and unvaccinated people to burn through.

I hope it doesn't but I really think this is going to come back to haunt us.

[tavernier]

46. Yes, but masking is still allowed.

Smart people will continue to be cautious.

If Covid was entirely gone, I truly liked the fact that I didn’t have a cold for the past two years so I would keep the mask, especially around large groups.

[Ford_Prefect]

15. Here we go again????? Who knew?

[monkeyman1]

21. an they want republican's back in power ??

[IronLionZion]

26. We may have fewer Republicans by November

[monkeyman1]

35. agreed !! their will be a bunch tied in with the j-6 committee!!

[Ford_Prefect]

41. Typical GOP voter lives in a fact free environment where Corona is a beer, not a virus..

[JudyM]

24. Read the research this afternoon and posted it here, link to the study included.

Sorry to say, CNN seems to be putting a positive spin on it… https://www.democraticunderground.com/100216365990

[monkeyman1]

36. that's why my freind call's it- " COMMUNIST NEWS NETWORK "!

[llashram]

27. anti-vaxxers-anti-maskers

will keep this one going here in America till the next mutation to who knows what level(s) of viral lethality. They are the super-spreader death merchants of trump. No doubt in my mind.

[L. Coyote]

30. ... about 30% to 50% more contagious than Omicron. ... detected in 74 countries and 47 states.

"BA.2 is about 30% to 50% more contagious than Omicron. It has been detected in 74 countries and 47 US states."

That's bad news.

[sakabatou]

32. Well, I'm going to keep my mask on indoors and outdoors.

[soldierant]

33. I'm just surprised it didn't happen soner.

Between the unvaccinated (and I sus pect the nubers - I think that'smore than 30% un) and no masks and now animals getting it from humans (deer and mink have meeb mentioned but there are others) not to mention the influence of climate change - there will be more.

Even if a universal can be developed, there will be some who won't take it

It's not really the virus we are all victims of - it's the idiots.

[PSPS]

37. No prob! We're "done with it" anyway! Wear a mask if you want to! (say many here on DU, sadly)

[SheltieLover]

38. Great reason to drop mask mandates & recs

[Demsrule86]

40. Ah but the good news is in another post on General Discussion. Connecticut had a documented cases

of BA2 in early January and still has only 27 active cases.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

42. And many states are relaxing their mask mandate.

[BlueWavePsych]

43. The virus doesn't care. Get fully vaxxed and mask up.

[lagomorph777]

44. "...escape the immunity created by vaccines. A booster shot restores protection..."

Don't these writers have to take any science classes in high school before becoming science writers?

The booster is identical to the vaccine; it IS a vaccine.

So the newer variants ARE susceptible to vaccines, if the vaccine hasn't worn off yet.

Sheesh.

[Socal31]

45. With the % of vaccinated and naturally immune...

[Spazito]

48. Kick.