XBB, BQ.1.1, BA.2.75.2 — a variant swarm could fuel a winter surge
Instead of a single new Greek letter variant, a group of immune-evading omicron spinoffs are popping up all over the world
For two years, coronavirus variants emerged, one by one, sweeping the globe.
But this fall and winter are expected to be different: Instead of a single ominous variant lurking on the horizon, experts are nervously eyeing a swarm of viruses — and a new evolutionary phase in the pandemic.
...They are different flavors of omicron, but eerily alike — adorned with a similar combination of mutations. Each new subvariant seems to outdo the last in its ability to dodge immune defenses.
