Watching—South Africa🇿🇦 may have a new subvariant, 66% dominant—the BA2+L452R group is a #BA2 subtype that mixes with an infamously bad L452R mutation, found in Delta/Kappa/Lambda, & known to make #SARSCoV2 more infective & severe. 🇫🇷sees early uptick too.
https://t.co/PzkGIE5mJd https://t.co/3upTRtwtbb— Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing)
Apr 4, 2022
from http://twitter.com/DrEricDing
5) And crap crap crap— new hospitalizations among those age 65-84 and 85+ have now SURPASSED OLD OMICRON PEAK!!! So anyone telling you this #BA2 wave in England 🏴 will be “mild” is absolutely lying to you. The hospital data doesn’t lie.
Figures by @Antonio_Caramia https://t.co/ugfVROYutW
— Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing)
Mar 25, 2022
from http://twitter.com/DrEricDing
11) that said, The good news is that #BA2 responds to Boosters as well as BA1. 90-95% protection against hospitalization. However 2 shots “basic” vax isn’t enough anymore versus Omicron—protection now only 70-79% depending on agent group. ➡️Note—70% is 3x worse than 90% inverted. https://t.co/eU7C05WDSt
— Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing)
Mar 25, 2022
from http://twitter.com/DrEricDing
10) #BA2 is much more infectious. One way to see it is in the SECONDARY ATTACK RATES— how many close contacts get infected from an initial person? BA2 has a much higher secondary attack rate. This will spur larger outbreaks. Hence where we are. Dropping mitigations bad idea too. https://t.co/681UVUHeMu
— Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing)
Mar 25, 2022
from http://twitter.com/DrEricDing
4) Just look at what is happening in the UK 🇬🇧 right now — and let this sink in— the Us has never dodged any wave that has hit UK first. Think about that. #Ba2 is definitely coming in a month or less. https://t.co/MlBqr8Wh8J
— Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing)
Mar 22, 2022
from http://twitter.com/DrEricDing
If the approaching #BA2 wave was a leaking 💧 hole on a boat right now, filled with sinking boat 🛶 denialists and minimizers. Yes, we have hit rock bottom during the pandemic.
HT @TaylorLorenz for the find.
Credit to whoever made this.
#CovidIsNotOver https://t.co/VJ8AlxLg0P— Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing)
Mar 20, 2022
from http://twitter.com/DrEricDing
Hospitals in dire situation in Hong Kong 🇭🇰 due to #COVID19 surge and under vaccination. Supply of oxygen cylinders dwindling due to high case numbers. The #BA2 subvariant is behind most of the new surge. Your reminder that #CovidIsNotOver.
https://t.co/gIps8CpoSw
— Eric Feigl-Ding 💙💛 (@DrEricDing)
Mar 5, 2022
from http://twitter.com/DrEricDing
10) Worse— monoclonal antibody drug now fails against #BA2 VARIANT—one of the last monoclonal antibody drug still available fails—the rapidly spreading #Omicron BA.2 sublineage “exhibited marked resistance” to sotrovimab in lab experiments. Shit.
https://t.co/3QVoBjSaZn
— Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing)
Feb 20, 2022
from http://twitter.com/DrEricDing
9) I worry about more excess deaths around the corner with #BA2. BA2 is currently called a subvariant of #Omicron but given it’s more severe and more transmissible, and evasive against prior BA1 immunity, I think BA2 needs its own name. See thread 🧵 below 👇 https://t.co/2FpJHqPhIV
— Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing)
Feb 20, 2022
from http://twitter.com/DrEricDing
⚠️Worrisome—New lab experiments from Japan show that #BA2 may have features that make it as capable of causing serious illness as older variants–including Delta! And yet as evasive as old #Omicron cousin BA1. #BA2 🌍 surging—needs upgrade to VOC asap @WHO!
https://t.co/j6P3gwxMTk— Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing)
Feb 18, 2022
from http://twitter.com/DrEricDing