variant

The ‘Kraken’ surge: Cases of COVID Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 on rise

by

It’s expected that by Wednesday of this week, about one in five COVID-19 cases in Ontario will be caused by the XBB.1.5 Omicron subvariant — representing the beginning of a surge in Canada, experts say, of what the World Health Organization has called the “most transmissible” subvariant to date. A new genomic surveillance report from … Read more

When do long COVID symptoms go away? What study found

by

In this file photo, long COVID patient Gary Miller sits on his sofa at home with his dog Rupert in London, Tuesday, May 11, 2021. For taxi driver Miller, recovery is agonizingly slow. Kirsty Wigglesworth AP We’ve already learned long COVID can last a long time for people after their coronavirus infection, with symptoms persisting … Read more

There are 4 ‘major’ types of long COVID symptoms, study says

by

There are four types of long COVID symptoms, a study found. John Leicester AP While long COVID can manifest in the body in a myriad of ways — proving a challenge for doctors to officially diagnose the condition — new research has categorized four “major” types of symptoms. Among the four major types of symptoms … Read more

At least 12 cases of XBB 1.5 COVID-19 subvariant now confirmed in B.C.

by

The number of confirmed cases of the COVID-19 XBB 1.5 subvariant continues to grow in British Columbia, with at least 12 cases documented as of Wednesday, the province’s health minister said. That’s up from the five cases confirmed last Friday, Adrian Dix said. And it’s likely a significant undercount. Read more: 21 cases of XBB.1.5. … Read more

Study: Next Major COVID Variant Could Be More Dangerous

by

The next variant of the coronavirus could be more deadly than the omicron strain, according to a recent lab study from South Africa. The study, done by the Africa Research Health Institute in Durban and released last week, used omicron variant samples taken over six months from a person who was immunosuppressed because of advanced … Read more

New COVID variant found in deer, may spread to humans

by

Researchers have discovered a “highly divergent” variant of COVID-19 in Canadian white-tailed deer — and it’s already been detected in at least one person. The study, published Nov. 10 in journal Nature Microbiology, might represent the first ever documented case of deer-to-human COVID-19 transmission, according to one of the study’s authors. The variant, named B. … Read more

Los Angels County could return to ‘high’ COVID level by Thursday due to hospitalizations, new variants

by

LOS ANGELES (KABC) — Steadily rising hospitalization numbers have put Los Angeles County on the verge of moving into the “high” COVID activity level category, as defined by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer told the Board of Supervisors this week that the county is on pace to … Read more

We Can’t Keep Getting The Same Formula in COVID-19 Booster Shots, Says Immunologist

by

Being up to date on COVID-19 vaccines means having had three or four doses of the same shot at this point. Current boosters are the same formulations as the first authorized shots, based on the original strain of the coronavirus that emerged in late 2019. They do still protect against severe COVID-19, hospitalizations and deaths. … Read more