Covid-19 cases attributed to the BA.5 sub-variant of omicron had just started to fall, and so did the hospitalizations, when the cases related to other offshoots are rising again.
Data shows that the BA.5 variant makes up most of the new cases, almost 70%. BA.4.6 is the sub-variant circulating for weeks in the USA, making up the remaining thirty percent of cases. But the area of concern is that new sub-variants like B.F.7, BQ.1, and BQ.1.1 have been spreading faster in Europe. Both BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 are offshoots of omicron.
These new sub-variants, the reason for the increase in the case in European countries, can impact the covid surge in the USA and other continents any day. According to WHO, over 1.66 million covid cases were recorded in Europe, increasing from over 1.53 million cases within one week.
We have seen throughout the pandemic that Europe set the trend of new variant infections of Covid-19, and other continents, especially the USA, followed it immediately.
Experts said it is a matter to worry that there are chances of a rise in Covid-19 cases in the early winter. Even a new wave could be seen, said the experts; however, they are unsure about the magnitude of the new wave.
After BA.5, BA.4.6 is the sub-variant accounting for most new covid cases. A new offshoot of BA.4 is feared to make up 12% of new Covid-19 cases.
The newer sub-variants have just begun spreading faster, raising the cases attributed to those offshoots to 12% recently from 3% till October 1.
Infectious disease specialists claim these sub-variants first spread in the summer in Nigeria and then started spreading in Europe, Asia, and the USA.
