Despite the fact that COVID-19 rates have fallen by approximately seven months, they are still nearing their highest levels, but an increase in cases during the summer is a cause for concern for many who anticipate upcoming school restarts this fall.
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a long list of variants with confusing and disorderely names, some of which can look like BA.5 or BQ.1 or XBB. Dr. Peter Hotez created the term “Scrabble variant” to describe the increasing number of COVID mutations. In July, another variant was added to the list, which is derived from the omicron strain that first appeared in November 2021. Since then, we have been working with climbleton’s children.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) publishes the most significant numbers of COVID variants every two weeks, with EG.5 being the top-ranking variant, accounting for 17.3% of reported cases. Initially identified in Indonesia, PG.5, has since spread worldwide. There are still many other variations of omicron circulating in the U.S., including XBB.1.5, also known as Kraken, 10.3%of cases, and a different variant called Arcturus, another contributing 15.6% of cases of people who
Dr. Rajendram Rajnarayana, who teaches at the New York Institute of Technology campus in Jonesboro, Arkansas, believes that the surge in cases is likely due to the diminishing of our natural immunity, which is represented by the previous variant that everyone had. This variation is slightly distinct from the former.
The U.S has experienced a significant increase in COVID infections over the past three summers, and this year may be no different. This spike is thought to be due to both high travel costs and prolonged heatwaves that have forced people to stay indoors.
“Our innate immunity is diminishing. This variation differs slightly from the previous one.”
According to Rajnarayanan, researchers have been impacted by the reduction in data on COVID transmissions. Hospitalization data and wastewater monitoring are two of the most effective tools for tracking the virus’s spread, with both metrics showing a 12.5% increase in hospitalizations over the past week.
“Our testing and sequencing equipment was removed one after the public health emergency ended,” RajnarayananI told Salon via phone call. “I’m not sure how long they’ll continue with wastewater sequencing.”
The initial COVID infection surges were rapid, but the number has been steadily increasing in the past year. Dr. T. Ryan Gregory, an evolutionary and genome biologist at the University of Guelph in Canada, compared the rise to “rising sea level” rather than “tsunami” waves.
The surge in cases over the past year has been more reminiscent of “revolving around” sea level rises than “tsunami” waves.
In an email to Salon, Gregory stated that he believes there is a possibility of reverting back to essentially ‘a high baseline’ — but not enforcing swathes of panic, as reported by others. He also mentioned that Canada saw a similar pattern in spring 2022 with the BA.2 variant.
He suggested that a sustained high baseline could lead to infections, which would result in more COVID and variant evolution, making it unfavorable.
According to Gregory, Eris, a variant of EG.5.1, is expected to cause symptoms similar to omicrons, such as headaches and coughing.
The difficulty in assessing the severity or symptoms of any one variant is compounded by the frequent presence of multiple mutations and limited testing, as explained by Gregory.
EG.5 is the successor of XBB.1.9.2, which is now called Hyperion and accounts for 5.4% of cases. A unique spike protein mutation in OGRA provides an even more efficient way for the virus to attach to cells, while Kraken underwent a similar mutation.
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“When you put pressure on this virus, it becomes more susceptible to learning new strategies,” Rajnarayanan noted.
Vaccine manufacturers are currently developing new boosters that target specific XBB omicron subvariants and may also be effective against the EG.5 variant. Current vaccines may still lower the risk of hospitalization and severe disease, but may not be as effective in slowing down the spread of newer mutations like GE.5, as per Rajnarayanan.
“The virus evolves as a result of being subjected to pressure.”
As always, following the same COVID protocols, including masking, can help decrease the risk of infection. Keeping up with vaccine updates, testing frequently, and improving indoor air quality are all effective methods against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COIVID, regardless of its mutagenicity.
“The surge is commencing, but the true surge may occur shortly after Thanksgiving,” Rajnarayanan stated. “We want to make sure we have our boosters ready before that time.”