New subvariant in U.S. becomes dominant strain
Another form of the omicron subvariant BA.2 has become the dominant version among new U.S. coronavirus cases, according to federal estimates released Tuesday, a development that experts had forecast over the past few weeks.
There was no indication yet that the new subvariant, known as BA.2.12.1, causes more severe disease than earlier forms did. BA.2.12.1 made up about 58% of all new U.S. cases, according to estimates by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the week ending May 21.
As Americans approach their third Memorial Day weekend of the pandemic, the country is averaging more than 100,000 new confirmed cases per day for the first time since February, according to a New York Times database. Newly reported cases have been rising in nearly every state. Many infections go uncounted in official statistics, so the true number of infections may be higher. As of Monday, there were an average of more than 24,700 people with the virus hospitalized nationally, an increase of 28% over the past two weeks.
BA.2.12.1 spreads more rapidly than previous versions of omicron including the form that sent U.S. cases soaring over the winter. The new version evolved from BA.2, which itself was more contagious than any variant that came before it. New York state health officials said in mid-April that the omicron subvariants known as BA.2.12 and BA.2.12.1 accounted for more than 90% of new cases in central New York state.
In New York City, omicron subvariants are powering the fifth wave of virus cases and officials put the city on “high COVID alert” last week, after rising case counts and hospitalizations reached a level that could put substantial pressure on the health care system. There was no sign that mask mandates were coming back in New York City, even as federal health officials warned that a large share of Americans were living in areas with “medium to high” levels of virus transmission.
RESEARCH Long COVID seen in vaccinated
New U.S. research on long COVID-19 provides fresh evidence that it can happen even after breakthrough infections in vaccinated people, and that older adults face higher risks for the long-term effects.
In a study of veterans published Wednesday, about onethird who had breakthrough infections showed signs of long COVID.
A separate report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that up to a year after an initial coronavirus infection, 1 in 4 adults age 65 and older had at least one potential long COVID health problem, compared with 1 in 5 younger adults.
Long COVID refers to any of more than two dozen symptoms that linger, recur or first appear at least one month after a coronavirus infection. These can affect all parts of the body and may include fatigue, shortness of breath, brain fog and blood clots.
Coronavirus vaccines that help prevent initial infections and serious illnesses provide some protection against long COVID but mounting research shows not as much as scientists had first hoped.
The veterans study published in Nature Medicine reviewed medical records of mostly white male veterans, age 60, on average. Of the 13 million veterans, almost 3 million had been vaccinated last year, through October.
About 1%, or nearly 34,000, developed breakthrough infections. Lead author Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly noted that the study was done before the highly contagious omicron variant appeared at the end of the year and said the rate of breakthrough infections has likely increased.
Breakthrough infections and long COVID symptoms were more common among those who had received Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose shot compared with two doses of either Moderna or Pfizer vaccines. Whether any had received booster shots is not known; the first booster wasn’t OKd in the U.S. until late September.
HAWAII Tourism soars despite infections
In Hawaii, which once had one of the nation’s lowest rates of infection, hospitalization and death, new cases are surging among the state’s 1.4 million residents. The University of Hawaii will again require masks indoors across its 10campus system beginning Wednesday.
With cases climbing for eight straight weeks, Hawaii has the second-highest infection rate of any state, trailing only Rhode Island. But because positive home test results aren’t counted in official data, Hawaii’s health department estimates that the case count is actually five or six times higher.
Despite its surge, visitors have been flocking to Hawaii’s beaches, especially in recent months.
Yaling Fisher, owner of Hawaii Aloha Travel, said bookings to the islands haven’t slowed during the surge. On the contrary, they’ve increased.
“Even now we are still busy,” she said. “We don’t see any
cancellations.”
GERMANY Nation to suspend vaccination proof
Germany’s health minister says the government plans to suspend a pandemic rule requiring people to show proof of vaccination, a negative test result or recent recovery from COVID-19 to enter the country over the summer.
Health Minister Karl Lauterbach told the Funke newspaper group in comments published Wednesday that the rule, which applies to everyone age 12 and above regardless of where they are traveling from, will be suspended from June 1 to the end of August.
Confirmed coronavirus case numbers have declined steadily in Germany in recent weeks, and most restrictions have been lifted.