The new Omicron subvariant BA.4.6 is reportedly an offshoot of BA.4 subvariant, with just couple of different mutations, CNN reports.
According to Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) of the University of Minnesota and CNN Health, the new subvariant is gaining ground in the US, including in the Midwest. According to the recent data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the BA.4.6 is causing an estimated 7% to 10% infections.
CIDRAP writes “The central midwestern states, which include Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska, were the first to see growing proportions of BA.4.6 and are still seeing the highest percentage, with the subvariant making up nearly 16% of samples. However, the proportions of the subvariant are higher than the national average in eastern and southeastern states.”
Dr. David Ho, a professor of microbiology and immunology at Columbia University, told CNN that he tested Evusheld antibodies by AstraZeneca and found that “although this subvariant doesn’t seem to bind to our cells more easily than others, it does appear to evade the ability of some antibodies to neutralize it, including those in Evusheld”.
“We found that that combination antibody no longer works against this new variant, and that is the only antibody combination that’s approved for prevention of Covid-19,” Dr Ho told to CNN.
A AstraZeneca spokesperson said in a statement “There is limited relevance to studies that evaluate the Evusheld component antibodies individually vs. in combination or that attempt to recreate versions of tixagevimab and cilgavimab vs authentic Evusheld. The data for the individual Evusheld antibodies are not representative of the synergistic effect of the combination as administered in the Evusheld label. Antibodies recreated in a laboratory based on publicly available information are not an accurate replication of Evusheld.”