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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThis New COVID Variant Is Shaping Up to Be a Dj Vu Nightmare
The world has built up a lot of immunity in the nine months since the Omicron variant of the novel coronavirus became dominant, driving a record wave of infections.
That immunity from vaccines and past infection is helping to keep down hospitalizations and deaths even as Omicrons offspringa succession of subvariantshave become dominant, one after one.
Now the virus is trying to find a way around our antibodies. A new subvariant, BA.4.6, is beginning to outcompete its predecessor, BA.5. Its advantages include a particular mutation to the spike protein, the part of the virus that helps it to grab onto and infect our cells.
Weve seen this R346T mutation before. And every time its appeared, its been associated with forms of the SARS-CoV-2 pathogen with an increased ability to dodge our antibodies. A quality epidemiologists call immune-escape.
If BA.4.6 becomes dominant, it could reverse the encouraging trend weve seen in most countries in recent weeks toward fewer infections, fewer hospitalizations, fewer deaths.
Its a reminder that the novel coronavirus is a living, evolving thing. As we adapt to it, it adapts to us. Viruses in general mutate to be more infectious and to avoid our immunity, Ali Mokdad, a professor of health metrics sciences at the University of Washington Institute for Health, told The Daily Beast.
Dont panic quite yet. One thing I try not to do is get too excited for every new variant that pops up, Peter Hotez, an expert in vaccine development at Baylor College, told The Daily Beast.
Most coronavirus variants and subvariants appear and disappear without significantly changing the pandemics overall direction. Plus, theres a new kind of vaccine in the works that could help us to fight, long-term, even the worst forms of COVID. Eventually.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/new-ba46-covid-variant-is-shaping-up-to-be-a-deja-vu-nightmare?via=twitter_page
BigmanPigman
(51,591 posts)Take a look at Japan. This is their 2nd wave and it is twice as bad as their first with Omicron. They must have Delta still. And they mask up!
progree
(10,907 posts)(leaving aside countries or entities with less than 1 million population)
Reported new cases per 100k per day (7 day averages)
===================
#1 S. Korea: 224
#2 Japan: 155
#3 Greece: 137
#4 New Zealand: 97
#5 Taiwan: 90
#6 Serbia: 87
#7 Singapore: 86
#8 Australia: 79
#9-#15: Latvia, Slovenia, Austria, Hong Kong, Chile, Moldova, Finland...
6 of the top 8 are in the Far East.
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/world/covid-cases.html
Am glad to see the world on a sustained downtrend in reported cases since about July 24, leaving aside some minor zig-zags.
Deaths (which lag cases) seem finally to be coming down too.
femmedem
(8,203 posts)The NYTimes covid tracker shows the U.S. having 31 daily cases per 100k, but because of home tests, the total is probably at least 5x that.
progree
(10,907 posts)which is frightening if the ones high on the list also have actual cases several times more than reported -- meaning close to or even exceeding 1,000 actual cases per 100k population per day. That would be 30k actual cases per 100k population per month!
femmedem
(8,203 posts)We were actually on the slow side rolling out the home tests.
progree
(10,907 posts)liberal_mama
(1,495 posts)I get a kick out of watching the live streaming of those tracks. Mostly everyone is masked except when eating or taking pictures.
However, I notice most masks are of the surgical and cloth variety, even though they have access to really good masks like KF94s. I know you can also buy excellent 3M N95 Aura masks in South Korea as I imported a bunch of them from Gmarket.
Since barely anyone masks anymore, I like to wear the vented version of 3m N95 Aura masks now because they are more comfortable in the summer. The vented Aura masks sold in the United States have those white braided straps that I hate, so I have to import the vented ones from South Korea with the blue rubberband straps. They also have the non-vented version for sale in South Korea because I'm sure vented masks would be frowned upon there.
It puzzles me that they aren't wearing better quality masks with the rates so high. However, maybe they are inhaling less viral dose at infection, even with the surgical masks, because their death rates are way lower than ours.
BigmanPigman
(51,591 posts)photos of Japanese citizens. They all where masks but they wear the crappy kind which do little to protect anyone.
Sky Jewels
(7,096 posts)Sucha NastyWoman
(2,748 posts)alterfurz
(2,474 posts)...mutates and tries again."
tanyev
(42,558 posts)*sigh*
appalachiablue
(41,131 posts)Response to RandySF (Original post)
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