Increasing cases coronavirus was recorded in European Union and the European Economic Area in the first month of autumn, said the head of the Office of Biological Threats and Health Strategies. Vaccine European Medicines Agency (EMA) Marco Cavalleri, stressing that a new wave of sub-options will emerge in the coming weeks Omicron.

Mr Cavalleri noted that “infections and hospitalizations are on the rise among people aged 65 and over.” At the same time, he stressed that “the pandemic is not over yet and we are still in a global emergency as the WHO said last week”, urging citizens to get vaccinated or start booster doses, especially those on high doses. . -risk categories and can become seriously ill.

He added that “Last week, one of the Omicron variants, called BQ1, was found in at least five EU and EEA countries. According to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), BQ1 and its subtype, called BQ1.1, will become the dominant strain by mid-November and early December.”

Sub-variant of BBB distributed in Asia

The head of the EMA’s Office of Biological Health Threats and Vaccine Strategy said that “it currently remains unknown whether BQ1 will be more contagious or cause more severe disease compared to sub-variants BA4 and BA5. However, it is known to have an increased ability to evade immunity from vaccination and natural infection, including Omicron, and to resist available monoclonal antibodies.”

“Currently, the Omicron BA4/BA5 sub-variants still dominate Europe. However, new variants derived from BA2 and BA5 have appeared in different parts of the world,” said Marco Cavalleri.

“We are also monitoring a new sub-variant called ChBB that is spreading rapidly in Asia and has already been detected in some European countries,” said Mr. Cavalleri.

He indicated that there are currently six vaccines for initial vaccination, four adapted and eight drugs for the treatment of coronavirus.

^{Source: APE-MEB}