Next Influx Of COVID-19 Infections Likely To Come From Omicron Subvariants, Study Suggests

CNN (6/1) reports new research suggests the next influx of COVID-19 infections “will probably come from the newer Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5, two closely related viruses.” Study researchers “tested antibodies from the blood of vaccinated and boosted people” and found “that BA.4 and BA.5 viruses are more than four times as likely to escape antibodies in people who’ve been vaccinated and boosted compared with BA.2 viruses,” meaning “BA.4 and BA.5 are more likely to lead to breakthrough infections, even in people who’ve had COVID-19 before.” The research was posted to preprint server bioRxiv.