COVID variants

Lab data suggests the new COVID-19 booster shots should protect against a variant that concerns scientists. The boosters should be widely available this fall at pharmacies, like the one seen in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn borough in New York City.

Health & Safety

Lab data suggests new COVID booster will protect against worrisome variant

9:21pm September 05, 2023

by Rob Stein

Preliminary laboratory studies find antibodies from previous infections and vaccinations can neutralize the BA.2.86 variant. The findings bode well for new boosters on the way this fall.

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New COVID variants that are highly immune evasive have overtaken BA.5 to dominate in the U.S. Experts warn this means more reinfections and a possible winter surge.

New omicron subvariants now dominant in the U.S., raising fears of a winter surge

5:20pm November 11, 2022

by Rob Stein

Step aside, BA.5. The new variants BQ.1 and BQ.1.1, appear to be among the most adept yet at evading immunity from previous infection and vaccination.

A health care worker prepares the current COVID vaccine booster shots from Moderna in February. The company says a bivalent vaccine that combines the original strain with the omicron strain is the lead candidate for a fall vaccination campaign.

Moderna says its new 'bivalent' vaccine shows promise against COVID variants

12:02pm April 19, 2022

by Rob Stein

The company says this version targets both the original coronavirus and the beta variant, and appears to provide broader and longer-lasting protection against different strains, including omicron.

Two white-tailed deer forage in Pennsylvania's Wyomissing Parklands. At the end of 2021, researchers swabbed the noses of 93 dead deer from across the state. Nearly 20% tested positive for the coronavirus.

Researcher finds 'stunning' rate of COVID among deer. Here's what it means for humans

8:18pm March 09, 2022

by Ari Daniel

Studies on white-tailed deer in Pennsylvania and Ontario offer evidence that the mammals are a reservoir for the coronavirus. What are the implications for the course of SARS-CoV-2?

A registered nurse stirs a nasal swab in testing solution after administering a COVID-19 test in Los Angeles, Calif. Increased testing could help in efforts to detect and track new variants like omicron.

As U.S. races to detect and track omicron, patchwork surveillance makes that tough

6:42pm November 30, 2021

What's the U.S. doing to watch out for the omicron variant? Here's the work underway and the challenges that experts say may slow down the country's efforts.