SHREVEPORT, La. — A new COVID-19 variant is causing an increase in cases in the U.S. and it's been detected in the ArkLaTex.
It is a descendant of the Omicron variant, and a mutation of the BA.2 subvariant. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that this new variant, BA.2.12.1, was responsible for 29% of new COVID-19 infections in the country last week and 58% of reported cases in New York.
Krista Queen, LSU Health Shreveport's Center for Emerging Viral Threats viral genomics director, says the BA.2.12.1 subvariant has been found in patients here.
Krista Queen
“So, this one is starting to rapidly increase in proportion across the US. And so we're seeing that here in the ArkLaTex,” said Queen. “We can see, it's at a higher predominance in the Northeast. And then it's been a little bit slower coming down towards our region, in the south. But so far right now, it's at about 20% of cases in the south.”
Omicron was nicknamed the stealth variant due to its transmissibility. Queen says this subvariant has a specific mutation which could also make it more contagious.
“There's another mutation in BA.2.12.1 that we saw with Delta, epsilon and lambda, and it's in the spike protein. It's in the receptor binding portion of the spike protein,” Queen said. “So, it’s theorized that that can affect transmissibility of this subvariant or sublineage.”
While there has been an uptick in case numbers, community transmission remains low, for now. Queen also says the antiviral pills and vaccines, especially boosters, continue to provide protection against severe disease and death from this subvariant.
