Category: Variants
Preprint: Enhanced Fusogenicity of BA.4, BA.5 and BA.2.12.1
“We found that the new Omicron subvariants BA.4/5 and BA.2.12.1 were more resistant to neutralization by mRNA-vaccinated and boosted health care worker sera and Omicron-BA.1-wave patient sera than were the BA.1 and BA.2 variants.”… ...More...
Eric Topol: The Covid Capitulation
“The real number of cases is likely at least 500,000 per day, far greater than any of the US prior waves except Omicron.… ...More...
USA: SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant spillover from human to horse
“A report on a possible direct exposure to SARS-CoV-2 from a COVID-19-positive individual to an adult horse.”
The individual, diagnosed with COVID-19 (Delta B.1.617.2), had daily contact to her two horses prior to and during the development of clinical disease.… ...More...
UK: Summer Covid wave incoming *1 Update*
According to the ZOE COVID Study figures, on May 13th 2022, there were 116,609 new daily symptomatic cases of COVID in the UK on average.… ...More...
UK: Half a million people have sought Long Covid advice
Asthma and Lung UK said that over the last six months about half a million had visited its long COVID advice pages or called its helpline – and some sufferers are considering buying their own oxygen supplies.… ...More...
France: Nearly one million Covid reinfections in a year
961,550 possible cases of Covid reinfection were identified in France between March 2, 2021 and April 24, 2022, of which 96.7% were since December 6, 2021.… ...More...
Preprint: Infection of mink with SARS-COV-2 Omicron Variant
Mink infected with Omicron were consistently PCR-positive from day 3 onwards, indicating mink-to-mink transmission. Infectious virus was detected in cell culture even before it was detected by PCR.… ...More...
ECDC & WHO: Joint statement on hepatitis in kids
The World Health Organisation have issued a joint statement with the ECDC on the recent cases of hepatitis in children. … ...More...
Sardinia: XJ recombinant is at ~20% of sequences, XM at ~15%
In Sardinia, XJ and XM Omicron recombinants are at 19.67% and 14.75% of sequences respectively. BA.2 is at just 65.57% of sequences.… ...More...
Europe: BA.4 and BA.5 reclassified as Variants of Concern
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has issued an Epidemiological update on 13th May 2022. BA.4 and BA.5 have been reclassified as Variants of Concern.… ...More...
North Korea: 350,000 Covid cases in two weeks *1 update*
North Korea reported the first death from COVID-19 today and said more than 350,000 people got fever* since late April as COVID-19 “explosively spread nationwide.”… ...More...
Japan: Ties between Omicron variant and severe hepatitis in children
Infection with the Omicron variant of COVID-19 may have a role in recent cases of severe acute hepatitis in children, according to new research presented at a health ministry panel meeting Wednesday 11th May 2022.… ...More...
UK: 1,880 cases of XE Covid recombinant sequenced
The UKHSA have released a new technical briefing outlining the SARS-CoV-2 variants circulating in Britain. The latest case count for the XE recombinant is 1,880 cases in the UK, with 1,569 of those cases in England.… ...More...
North Korea: Total lockdown announced as Omicron BA.2 identified in Pyongyang
North Korea has announced its first ever Covid-19 cases. The Omicron variant has been identified.
According to the North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), samples collected from fever-ridden patients on Sunday in Pyongyang were identical to omicron.… ...More...