Mutations

More contagious version of omicron spreads in U.S., fueling worries The omicron BA..2 variant spreads about 30% more easily and has caused surges in other countries. Its steady increase in the U.S. raises questions about the wisdom of rolling back COVID restrictions. NPR.org

As the omicron surge continues to decline in the U.S., infectious disease experts are keeping a close eye on an even more contagious version of the variant that could once again foil the nation's hopes of getting back to normal.

COVID reinfections surge during Omicron onslaught Nature - Immunity acquired through previous infection is less effective against Omicron than against other variants, but the risk of severe COVID-19 remains low. Mallapaty, Smriti nature

Since the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 was first detected, the number of people reinfected with the coronavirus has been rising sharply — a trend that was not observed with previous variants. Researchers say that the new variant is probably driving the surge because it is able to evade the body’s immune defences.

Why Covid-19 vaccines are a freaking miracle The pandemic has been catastrophic. But consider something that may have escaped you: You have witnessed — and you are a beneficiary of — a freaking miracle. Helen Branswell STAT

Two years into the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s easy to lament all that has come to pass. The devastating losses. The upending of what we regarded as normal ways of life. The sheer relentlessness of it all.

But let’s stop for a moment and consider something else that may have escaped you: You have witnessed — and you are a beneficiary of — a freaking miracle.