As winter approaches, America's got another thing to worry about besides higher heating bills, the existing-treatment-evading Omicron subvariants that are threatening a surge in the frosty season.
The new subvariants—BQ1 and BQ1.1—that account for 11% of new COVID cases are especially dangerous to people with compromised immune systems. Mutation in the subvariants can render the main treatment for immunocompromised people useless.
Dr Anthony Fauci, the White House chief medical officer, said, “If you have a variant that does not respond or isn’t sensitive to one of the most important tools that we have, that’s very concerning.”
Kristen Nordlund, a CDC spokesperson, urges the rest of Americans to sign up for updated COVID-19 boosters as they may provide improved protection against the BQ subvariants.
Only less than 5% of Americans received Omicron booster shots in the first month of its availability.