COVID-19: BQ.1.1 Variant, Hiding in Plain Sight in the United States.
The BQ.1.1 is the great grandson (or daughter) of BA.5. Thus, once it became apparent in the last few weeks that the variant is having a significant impact the data was separated. The BQ.1.1 is doubling every week and is on track to become the dominant variant in our variant soup. Europe is undergoing a surge in infections. The BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 are dominant strains. The hospital association in Germany has asked their government to mandate masks in indoor settings. Despite the looming dangers, only 4.5% of the United States’ population have obtained the Bivalent BA.5 booster. Misinformation is key. The most recent came from the Florida Dept. of Health which assumed “a high level of global immunity to COVID-19” and recommended against vaccination of 18- to 39-year-old males. However, myocarditis, as found in their study still pales in comparison to that from an infection. Studies have found infections having a 7 to 11 times higher chance of myocarditis compared to that which can occur from vaccinations, plus with vaccinations and boosters, the myriad of damage from Long COVID can be avoided. Recent studies have found Long COVID to affect between 28% and 48% of individuals with symptomatic COVID-19 and that boosters can cut the chances of developing Long COVID by almost half. This underscores the importance of obtaining the bivalent BA.5 booster. For most individuals, the benefits of the booster far outweigh risks. Jack Pattie Show. Oct. 17, 2022.