The World Health Organization said on Monday (April 11) that it had monitored several dozen cases of two new subvariants of the highly transmissible strain of Omicron coronavirus to see if they were more contagious. or danger.
He added BA.4 and BA.5 to his watchlist, sister variants of the original BA.1 Omicron variant. It is already followed by BA.1 and BA.2 - now dominant worldwide - as well as BA.1.1 and BA.3.
The WHO says it is beginning to detect them because of "additional mutations that need to be further studied to understand their impact on the potential for immune leakage."
Viruses constantly mutate, but only a few mutations affect their ability to spread or prevent pre-existing immunity to vaccination or infection or the severity of the disease they cause.
For example, BA.2 now accounts for almost 94 percent of all consecutive cases and is more transmissible than its relatives, but current evidence suggests that he can no longer be seriously ill. According to the WHO, only a few dozen cases of BA.4 and BA.5 have been reported in the GISAID global database.
The UK Health Security Agency said last week that BA.4 was found in South Africa, Denmark, Botswana, Scotland and England from January 10 to March 30.
All cases of BA.5 were in South Africa last week, but on Monday the Botswana Ministry of Public Health said it had identified four cases of BA.4 and BA.5, all from people aged 30 to 50 fully indoctrinated and experienced. mild symptoms.
Related Post:
- China reports 20,000 cases of COVID-19 daily, mostly since the beginning of the pandemic
- Duterte ordered troops through the COVID-19 isolation system
- Shanghai residents suffer from food shortages and long lockdowns
Japan is canceling the third phase of the contracted purchase of AstraZeneca COVID-19
Japan has canceled the purchase of nearly 40 million doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 approved last year, a parliamentary health ministry official said on Monday (April 11th).
The contract allows the government to cancel part of the supply if it is not needed, the official said in response to questions from lawmakers.
Japan originally agreed to buy 120 million shots, most of which were made by Daiichi Sankyo and other local associates.
About 200,000 doses of AstraZeneca were donated by local governments in Japan, while 63 million doses were donated abroad, the official added.
Japan has so far relied heavily on mRNA-type faxes developed by Pfizer and Moderna for COVID-19 vaccines and boosters.
(Source://Reuters)