It may evade the immunity we already have but to what extent remains a mystery.
There have been so many variants of COVID-19 circulating the globe in the past couple of years, it’s next to impossible to keep track of what’s what unless you’re a scientist studying the evolution of the virus in a lab. Thankfully someone is doing just that in order to help the world see where COVID-19 is headed. News has it the most immune-evasive COVID-19 variant has now emerged to frighten us all. It’s called BQ.1.1, and yes, it sounds like a character from a Star Wars movie. It could prove to provide us with much less entertainment, however. Curious to know more? Read on.
All about BQ1.1
Scientists are saying they aren’t sure to what extent BQ1.1 can escape the immunity we’ve gained from COVID-19 vaccines, making it a wild card. It’s power to evade could be considerable. Once this virus penetrates the general population and accounts for anywhere from 30% to 50% of all COVID-19 cases, experts say they’ll have a better idea of its power. Until then, however, we wait.
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It’s expected this variant could affect hospitalizations and deaths in people who are already vaccinated.
Right now, experts say this variant is known to escape antibody immunity, which is unfortunate. Antibody treatments are used as a preventive measure in patients who are at a high risk of developing a severe case of COVID-19 and dying from the illness. When these people are exposed to the virus, they can receive the antibody treatments to help boost their immune response. This can be an invaluable treatment for those living with pre-existing conditions like cancer or diabetes. BQ.1.1 has been found to escape immunity from Bebtelovimab, which is the last monoclonal antibody drug that’s been found to be effective on all variants.
Where it’s active (at the time of this writing)
As of October, 2022, BQ.1.1 has been found to be “surging” in New York and spreading in places like Germany where Oktoberfest may have caused a great number of people to become infected with COVID-19. Because New York gets a great deal of international visitors, it’s being eyed as a location that could mark trends to come. History has shown us this virus can’t be contained and so it’s safe to assume BQ.1.1 will soon spread throughout a great number of other areas. Your best protection is likely to stay abreast of the latest vaccines against COVID-19.
The new hybrid booster shots will help
Experts like Dr. Fauci say the new Omicron hybrid booster shots should provide some kind of protection against the BQ.1.1 variant but just how much is uncertain. Because the booster shots were designed to tackle variant BA.5, which is a close relative of this newer variant, they should provide us with some type of help. This is, of course, good news as we head into flu season.
COVID-19 booster shots will likely become an annual event in the years to come, as we face an innumerable number of COVID-19 variants.
To read more about how the pandemic may end, click here.
photo credits: peterschreiber.media/Shutterstock.com
