the predominant variants¶

The data cited here comes from September through November 2022, in which the predominant variants were BA.4 and BA.5, with BQ.1 creeping up. By the latest data point examined, the entire XBB lineage was under 3%. Of course a booster targeted to BA.⅘ was effective against them. https://t.co/D9KS4iwWhp Considering the poor booster uptake, it's not even like XBB was only able to outcompete BA lineages due to BA.⅘ immunity--it's just THAT much more transmissible. It took a month for it to go from 5% to 50% of all cases in the U.S. BA.4 is nearly extinct, BA.5 is on its way out. In a study published January 5^th, researchers showed that only 40% of individuals with the bivalent booster showed ANY neutralization of XBB.1 at all, and the average neutralization titer was 99% lower than the response to BA.5.

https://t.co/XVY6TXJAcw https://t.co/TGiJrBILGB 99%. Really let that settle in.

The best course of action right now is to behave like you are currently COMPLETELY unvaccinated. Even if you just got the bivalent booster, you are only protected against a nearly-extinct strain of the virus.