A former commissioner of the FDA has expressed significant concern about a new variant of Covid-19 that is spreading in the US. Dr. Scott Gottlieb has warned that this variant, known as BA.X, BA.2.86, or Pirola, is highly mutated and likely to be more adept at evading the immune systems of vaccinated or previously infected individuals. While there is currently no evidence to suggest that the variant is more lethal than previous strains, there has been a slight uptick in Covid-19 fatalities in the US, albeit remaining at historically low levels.
BA.X is considered an earlier branch of the coronavirus, making it distinct from the variant targeted by current vaccines. The Biden Administration is expected to address concerns regarding BA.X and encourage all Americans to receive updated Covid-19 vaccines in the coming fall. However, there are concerns about the effectiveness of these vaccines against the new strain.
Recent data indicates that hospitalizations in the US have been rising by approximately 14% per week, resulting in around 10,300 admissions every seven days. Despite doubts about the necessity of vaccines for healthy children and young adults, the vaccine rollout will still be open to these age groups.
Speaking on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” Dr. Gottlieb emphasized the significant genetic differences between the BA.X variant and Omicron, stating that BA.X is a highly mutated virus. While not appearing to be more dangerous than other variants, it may be more transmissible, potentially surpassing them in prevalence. Further testing is required to determine the full extent of its characteristics.
BA.X exhibits over 30 mutations that distinguish it from the currently dominant XBB.1.5 variant. Experts have expressed alarm due to these mutations, with comparisons drawn to the early stages of the Omicron variant. Some scientists have even advocated for the reimplementation of face mask usage following the detection of BA.X infections in Denmark, Israel, the UK, and the US. However, it is likely that the strain is more widespread than reported due to limited testing.
The World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continue to monitor the BA.X variant. The majority of Americans possess some level of protection against the virus through vaccination or prior infection, providing optimism that a deadly wave will be avoided. While hospitalizations and fatalities have seen a recent rise, these numbers remain significantly lower than the same time last year.
In the last available week of data, there were 10,300 hospitalizations, a 14% increase from the previous week, but only a quarter of the 43,000 recorded during the same period in the previous year. Additionally, there were 479 deaths, an 8% rise from the preceding seven days, but still far below the 3,200 deaths reported during the same timeframe last year.
The dominant variant in the US is currently the Eris variant, also known as EG.5, accounting for about one in five cases, although it is estimated that this figure could be as high as half. This strain is known to spread more rapidly, but there is no evidence suggesting it is more likely to cause severe illness or death than previous variants.
To bolster Covid-19 defenses in the coming winter, the White House plans to offer an updated booster to all individuals. These boosters will target the XBB variants, which are currently prevalent in the US. Moderna has reported that its vaccine is effective against the BA.X subvariant dominant in America. These boosters will be available to all age groups, despite controversy surrounding their necessity for children and adults under 65. In the UK, only adults over 65 will be offered the vaccine update.
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