Hamas-Israel war: US begins construction of pier in Gaza
Israel prepares to attack Rafah
Indifference in European capitals, after Emmanuel Macron's speech at the Sorbonne
Spain: what is Manos Limpias, the pseudo-union which denounced the wife of Pedro Sánchez?
Spain is the country in the European Union with the most overqualified workers for their jobs
Parvovirus alert, the “fifth disease” of children which has already caused the death of five babies in 2024
Colorectal cancer: what to watch out for in those under 50
H5N1 virus: traces detected in pasteurized milk in the United States
Private clinics announce a strike with “total suspension” of their activities, including emergencies, from June 3 to 5
The Lagardère group wants to accentuate “synergies” with Vivendi, its new owner
The iconic tennis video game “Top Spin” returns after 13 years of absence
Three Stellantis automobile factories shut down due to supplier strike
A pre-Roman necropolis discovered in Italy during archaeological excavations
Searches in Guadeloupe for an investigation into the memorial dedicated to the history of slavery
Aya Nakamura in Olympic form a few hours before the Flames ceremony
Psychiatrist Raphaël Gaillard elected to the French Academy
Skoda Kodiaq 2024: a 'beast' plug-in hybrid SUV
Tesla launches a new Model Y with 600 km of autonomy at a "more accessible price"
The 10 best-selling cars in March 2024 in Spain: sales fall due to Easter
A private jet company buys more than 100 flying cars
This is how housing prices have changed in Spain in the last decade
The home mortgage firm drops 10% in January and interest soars to 3.46%
The jewel of the Rocío de Nagüeles urbanization: a dream villa in Marbella
Rental prices grow by 7.3% in February: where does it go up and where does it go down?
“Deadly Europe”, “economic decline”, immigration… What to remember from Emmanuel Macron’s speech at the Sorbonne
Sale of Biogaran: The Republicans write to Emmanuel Macron
Europeans: “All those who claim that we don’t need Europe are liars”, criticizes Bayrou
With the promise of a “real burst of authority”, Gabriel Attal provokes the ire of the opposition
These French cities that will boycott the World Cup in Qatar
Judo: Blandine Pont European vice-champion
Swimming: World Anti-Doping Agency appoints independent prosecutor in Chinese doping case
Water polo: everything you need to know about this sport
Judo: Cédric Revol on the 3rd step of the European podium
The updated pandemic-related subvariant of omicron BA.4/BA.5 is occupied by the reoccupied subvariants. According to Columbia University's Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, they are now better at evading vaccines and most antibodies than their predecessors.
"The virus is evolving as expected. It's not surprising that new, more transmissible subvariants are becoming more prevalent around the globe. David D. Ho, the lead researcher, said that it is crucial to understand how vaccines and antibodies treat new subvariants in order to develop strategies to prevent severe illness, hospitalizations and death, if any, as well as infection. The paper has been published in Nature.
Ho says that "our study indicates that these highly transmissible variants continue to spread throughout the globe, and they will cause more infections in people who have been vaccinated with mRNA vaccines currently available," Ho states.
Ho and his colleagues conducted laboratory experiments to determine whether antibodies could be neutralized by individuals who had received three or more doses of mRNA vaccine.
Because of an earlier study that found two doses are not sufficient to protect against infection with older omicron variants, the research team didn't examine anyone who hadn't received a booster shot.
The study showed that BA.2.12.1 was only slightly more resistant to BA.2 than BA.2 in individuals who were boosted vaccinated, but BA.4/5 was at most four times as resistant as its predecessor.
The scientists also tested 19 monoclonal antibodies to neutralize variants. They found that only one antibody treatment was highly effective against both BA.2.12.12.1 and BA.4/5.
The new variants could cause more severe diseases in vaccine-vaccinated people, according to the current study.
The United States may be able to improve the protection against severe diseases and infection by focusing on developing new booster vaccines for BA.4/5. Ho says that in today's environment, it may be necessary to develop new vaccines and treatments to prevent the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 viruses.
