CDC urges people with weak immune systems to take precautions

In the absence of effective antibodies, the United States Centre for Disease Control (CDC) is urging those with weak immune systems to take precautions.

The agency released guidance recommending those with immunocompromising conditions to develop a COVID-19 “action plan.” In addition to vaccination, the guidance includes spending more time outdoors, masking and social distancing in crowded spaces, and seeking treatment within the first few days of symptom onset. The guidance came a day after the FDA revoked its emergency use authorization of the monoclonal antibody Evusheld after finding it’s ineffective against the majority of circulating variants. 

Similarly, the CDC has started tracking a new omicron subvariant, CH.1.1. It’s a descendent of BA.2.75 and is estimated to account for 1.5 percent of cases in the U.S. Not much is known about the strain, though it has similar properties to some of the other highly transmissible members of the omicron family. It was first detected in Southeast Asia in the fall months, with early estimates indicating it accounts for more than a quarter of infections in the U.K. and New Zealand.