Coronavirus Watch: What to know about the new COVID variants
As the omicron subvariant BA.5 is beginning to lose its grip on the U.S., new variants are beginning to emerge and gain ground: BA.4.6, BQ.1 and BQ.1.1, and BF.7.
Health experts say it's difficult to capture how prevalent these new variants are as most Americans test at home and fewer samples are available for genetic sequencing. But they also say the new booster should offer protection as many of new strains descend from BA.4 or BA.5
Read more from reporter Adrianna Rodriguez here.
It's Thursday, and this is Coronavirus Watch from the Paste BN Network. Here's more news to know:
- The FDA on Wednesday authorized a booster dose of the Novavax vaccine, saying it's an option for people 18 and older as a first booster, the Associated Press reported.
- COVID-19 and pregnancy: A government report released Wednesday found COVID-19 contributed to a quarter of all U.S. maternal deaths last year and in 2020. Read more here.
- California’s COVID-19 state of emergency will end Feb. 28, 2023, nearly three years from its initiation, officials from Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office announced Tuesday.
See our COVID-19 resource guide here. On boosters: 35.4% of Americans over 5 years old have received their first booster shot, and 11.5 million people have received a second booster dose, according to the CDC.
– Cady Stanton, Paste BN breaking news reporter, @cady_stanton