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Bloomberg | , Posted by Lingamgunta Nirmitha Rao
UK health authorities have identified a number of omicron variants that may contribute to Coronavirus disease Infection as winter progresses.
The UK Health Security Agency said it was studying the so-called BQ.1 and XBB sublineages of omicron and several new variants of the BA.2 family.
Health agencies have warned that emerging BA.2 variants have the potential to spark a new wave of infections because laboratory studies suggest they can partially evade existing immunity.
“It is not surprising to see new variants of SARS-CoV-2 emerge,” Meera Chand, UKHSA’s director of clinical and emerging infections, said in a statement. “Vaccination remains our best defense against future waves of Covid-19.”
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The UK’s growing focus on these new sub-variants comes a week after European health authorities said the BQ.
Read more: New Omicron sub-variant expected to drive Covid wave in Europe
The CDC said the BQ.1 subvariate is also gaining popularity in the U.S., accounting for an estimated 16.6% of U.S. cases. Meanwhile, the UK Health Security Agency said the XBB variant is believed to be responsible for the recent surge in cases in Singapore.
The UK is rolling out a new round of boosters to people aged 50 or over and those with weakened immune systems in a bid to prevent severe Covid-19 disease and a spike in winter deaths. Cases spiked from the summer but declined in the last two weeks, according to government surveillance data.
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