The European Medicines Agency says a brand new wave of COVID-19 infections will hit the continent within the coming weeks as we transfer in opposition to iciness.
The EMA held a press conferenc within the Netherlands the place officers mentioned the pandemic isn’t over and that the Omicron variant continues to mutate and subsequently to reason worry.
“Last week one of these new Omicron variants that is called BQ.1 has been identified in at least five countries in the European Union and European Economic Area,” defined Dr. Marco Cavaleri, Head of Health Threats and Vaccines Strategy. “According to the ECDC BQ.1 and each sub-lineage, which is called BQ.1.1 will become the dominant strains by mid-November to the beginning of December.”
The EMA mentioned it anticipated the brand new wave to start out inside per week and added that the virus is evolving quicker than the power to offer adaptive vaccines, which can be nonetheless within the early phases of construction.
The well being officers additionally mentioned that the influenza virus shall be circulating similtaneously COVID-19 this iciness, and that they counsel other people in high-risk teams be vaccinated towards each. On a extra positive word, the EMA clarified that present vaccines are nonetheless efficient.
