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- Written by: Prakash Nagarkatti, University of South Carolina and Mitzi Nagarkatti, University of South Carolina
A new omicron subvariant of the virus that causes COVID-19, BA.2, is quickly becoming the predominant source of infections amid rising cases around the world. Immunologists Prakash Nagarkatti and Mitzi Nagarkatti of the University of South Carolina explain what makes it different from previous variants, whether there will be another surge in the U.S. and how best to protect yourself.
What is BA.2, and how is it related to omicron?
BA.2 is the latest subvariant of omicron, the dominant strain of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19. While the origin of BA.2 is still unclear, it has quickly become the dominant strain in many countries, including India, Denmark and South Africa. It is continuing to spread in Europe, Asia and many parts of the world.
The omicron variant, officially known as B.1.1.529, of SARS-CoV-2 has three main subvariants in its lineage: BA.1, BA.2 and BA.3. The earliest omicron subvariant to be detected, BA.1, was first reported in November 2021 in South Africa. While scientists believe that all the subvariants may have emerged around the same time, BA.1 was predominantly responsible for the winter surge of infections in the Northern Hemisphere in 2021.
The first omicron subvariant, BA.1, is unique in the number of alterations it has compared to the original version of the virus – it has over 30 mutations in the spike protein that helps it enter cells. Spike protein mutations are of high concern to scientists and public health officials because they affect how infectious a particular variant is and whether it is able to escape the protective antibodies that the body produces after vaccination or a prior COVID-19 infection.
BA.2 has eight unique mutations not found in BA.1, and lacks 13 mutations that BA.1 does have. BA.2 does, however, share around 30 mutations with BA.1. Because of its relative genetic similarity, it is considered a subvariant of omicron as opposed to a completely new variant.
Why is it called a ‘stealth’ variant?
Some scientists have called BA.2 a “stealth” variant because, unlike the BA.1 variant, it lacks a particular genetic signature that distinguishes it from the delta variant.
While standard PCR tests are still able to detect the BA.2 variant, they might not be able to tell it apart from the delta variant.
Is it more infectious and lethal than other variants?
BA.2 is considered to be more transmissible but not more virulent than BA.1. This means that while BA.2 can spread faster than BA.1, it might not make people sicker.
It is worth noting that while BA.1 has dominated case numbers around the world, it causes less severe disease compared to the delta variant. Recent studies from the U.K. and Denmark suggest that BA.2 may pose a similar risk of hospitalization as BA.1.
Does previous infection with BA.1 provide protection against BA.2?
Yes! A recent study suggested that people previously infected with the original BA.1 subvariant have robust protection against BA.2.
Because BA.1 caused widespread infections across the world, it is likely that a significant percentage of the population has protective immunity against BA.2. This is why some scientists predict that BA.2 will be less likely to cause another major wave
However, while the natural immunity gained after COVID-19 infection may provide strong protection against reinfection from earlier variants, it weakens against omicron.
How effective are vaccines against BA.2?
A recent preliminary study that has not yet been peer reviewed of over 1 million individuals in Qatar suggests that two doses of either the Pfizer–BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines protect against symptomatic infection from BA.1 and BA.2 for several months before waning to around 10%. A booster shot, however, was able to elevate protection again close to original levels.
Importantly, both vaccines were 70% to 80% effective at preventing hospitalization or death, and this effectiveness increased to over 90% after a booster dose.
How worried does the US need to be about BA.2?
The rise in BA.2 in certain parts of the world is most likely due to a combination of its higher transmissibility, people’s waning immunity and relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions.
CDC data suggests that BA.2 cases are rising steadily, making up 23% of all cases in the U.S. as of early March. Scientists are still debating whether BA.2 will cause another surge in the U.S.
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Though there may be an uptick of BA.2 infections in the coming months, protective immunity from vaccination or previous infection provides defense against severe disease. This may make it less likely that BA.2 will cause a significant increase in hospitalization and deaths. The U.S., however, lags behind other countries when it comes to vaccination, and falls even further behind on boosters.
Whether there will be another devastating surge depends on how many people are vaccinated or have been previously infected with BA.1. It’s safer to generate immunity from a vaccine, however, than from getting an infection. Getting vaccinated and boosted and taking precautions like wearing an N95 mask and social distancing are the best ways to protect yourself from BA.2 and other variants.
Prakash Nagarkatti, Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, University of South Carolina and Mitzi Nagarkatti, Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, University of South Carolina
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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- Written by: Preston Dyches
What are some skywatching highlights in April 2022?
The gathering of planets in the morning sky increases three to four, as Jupiter joins the party. Two close conjunctions — between Mars and Saturn, and Venus and Jupiter — provide highlights at the beginning and end of the month. And the Big Dipper hosts a surprise: a double star you just might be able to "split" with your own eyes.
At the beginning of April, Venus, Mars and Saturn form a trio in the southeast before sunrise, with Saturn appearing to move steadily toward Mars each day.
On April 1, they're a couple of finger widths apart. And by April 4, Saturn and Mars are separated by less than the width of the full moon. Saturn then moves on, increasing its separation from Mars each day, as a new addition to the morning sky makes its debut.
By mid-month, Jupiter is starting to rise in the predawn hour, making for a quartet of planets, strung out in a line across the morning sky. Heading into the last week of April, Jupiter will be high enough above the horizon in the hour before sunrise to make it more easily observed.
The two brightest planets in the sky, Venus and Jupiter, are headed for their own ultra-close conjunction on April 30, similar to the meetup of Mars and Saturn earlier in the month. In fact, they approach to about the same distance.
Of course, the planets are actually far apart in space, and only appear to move closer, or farther apart, in the sky as our view of them across the solar system changes from month to month.
If you recall the grand conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn at the end of 2020, these conjunctions are not quite as close as that, but still really impressive and they'll make for thrilling sights in the morning sky. So definitely try to catch them if you can!
Whether you call it the Big Dipper, or Ursa Major, or the Plough, it's probably the most familiar pattern of bright stars in the northern sky. The Big Dipper is a really useful reference for finding your way around the sky, but it also contains a hidden surprise: One of its stars is really two. Or, actually, six. Let's break that down.
What looks at first glance like a single bright star here, midway along the Dipper's handle, is on closer inspection a double star: Mizar and Alcor. Next time you have a chance, try to see if you can perceive them as two stars with your own eyes. Once you give it a try, then grab binoculars if you have them, which will easily show them as separate stars.
The two star systems are around a light year apart, and are located 80 to 90 light years away from our solar system, with Alcor taking just shy of a million years to complete an orbit around Mizar.
Now, lots of stars are bound together by gravity in small groups, especially in pairs — or binaries — that orbit around each other. But usually it takes a telescope to be able to see them as separate stars. Mizar and Alcor are a rare example of a double star that you can see as a pair without the aid of a telescope.
But it gets more interesting: Although they appear as a close pair of two stars, they are in fact six. Alcor is a binary pair of stars, while Mizar is actually four stars — two pairs of binaries. So find the unusual "double" stars Mizar and Alcor in the Big Dipper in April,
Stay up to date with all of NASA's missions to explore the solar system and beyond at nasa.gov.
Preston Dyches works for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
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- Written by: Kimberly Layton
The main purpose of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, or SAAM, is to help increase public awareness about sexual assault and to educate communities and individuals on how to help prevent sexual violence and increase healthy sexuality and relationships.
Sexual Assault Awareness Month in Lake County will be proclaimed at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 5, at the Lakeport City Council chambers; at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 7, at the Clearlake City Council chambers; and at 9:10 a.m. Tuesday, April 12, during the Board of Supervisors’ meeting at the Lake County Courthouse in Lakeport. The public is encouraged to attend.
Lake Family Resource Center would also like to invite the community to participate in Denim Day on Wednesday, April 27.
Individuals can help by breaking the dress code and breaking the silence, by wearing jeans on denim on this day.
The 2022 National Sexual Assault Awareness Month Campaign for this year is “Building Safe Online Spaces Together.”
Sexual harassment, assault, and abuse can happen anywhere, including in online spaces.
For too long harassment, cyberbullying, and sexual abuse and exploitation have come to be expected as typical and unavoidable behaviors online.
Building safe online spaces together is possible when we practice digital consent, intervene when we see harmful content and behaviors, and promote online communities that value respect, inclusion and safety.
Sexual violence is defined as the attempt or completion of a sexual act undertaken without the victim’s freely given consent, which includes rape and other sexual assault.
Sexual violence is a serious and costly problem in the United States, with substantial impacts on victims and their families and exorbitant costs to state and local governments.
Outcomes of sexual violence can include physical injury and other medical problems, poor mental health outcomes, lost work productivity, decreased quality of life and, sometimes, death.
In addition to physical injury or death, sexual violence can cause a myriad of short- and long-term health consequences for victims, including pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, chronic pain, gynecological and pregnancy complications, and disability that can limit employment.
It can also lead to anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, substance abuse, and attempted or completed suicide, among others issues.
Children who are victims of sexual violence are especially vulnerable to both short- and long-term negative behavioral, mental and emotional outcomes, and are significantly more likely to be re-victimized in the future.
The Lake Family Resource Center Rape Crisis Program offers free and confidential services including 24/7 Community Crisis Line (1-888-485-7733) answered by trained advocates.
The Rape Crisis Program also provides individual counseling, support, safety plans, education, hospital accompaniment, law enforcement and court advocacy, and emergency shelter for all victims of sexual assault and their family members.
For more information on Denim Day and various Sexual Assault Awareness Month activities please contact Kimberly Layton at 707-279-0563, Extension 185.
Kimberly Layton is a sexual assault specialist at Lake Family Resource Center.
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- Written by: LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Lake County’s sitting district attorney said she is running for a second term.
Endorsed by two retired Lake County Judges – Robert L. Crone Jr. and Arthur H. Mann – Susan Krones is kicking off her campaign with a serious message, “Experience in criminal law and prosecution is the foundation for effective leadership.”
Krones is being challenged by attorney and former Lake County supervisor, Anthony Farrington.
Krones explains that Lake County communities deserve experienced and tested leadership to tackle the tough criminal cases that come daily to the District Attorney’s Office.
“To have the endorsement of two distinguished Lake County Judges, and U.S. Congressman Mike Thompson is a terrific way to begin campaigning for reelection,” Krones said.
As a 29-year career prosecutor, Krones has prosecuted a wide variety of cases — murder, sexual assault of children and adults, and many other felonies. Throughout her career, she has put away hundreds of violent criminals.
One recent case stands out. In 2020 Krones successfully prosecuted Alan Ashmore for killing two people and shooting at a California Highway Patrol officer. Ashmore pleaded no contest and was sentenced to 140 years to life in prison.
In another case, Damon Pashilk was sentenced to 15 years prison for setting four fires including the Clayton fire.
“My chief deputy, Richard Hinchcliff, did an excellent job in preparing this case but the reality is it all comes down to what we can prove in court. We had several meetings with experienced Cal Fire Investigators that investigated these fires. It isn’t always possible to put a criminal behind bars for life even though they deserve it. The bottom line is that Mr. Pashilk is in prison where he belongs and our office will be there to oppose any possibility of early release,” Krones said.
Krones chose her profession early. “When you love what you do and stick to it, you gain knowledge and experience that becomes vital to do the job well and make a difference in the community. That’s been my approach. I am not a politician. My goal is not to climb the political ladder. I want to continue to put my experience and training into serving the public as district attorney.”
She continued, “The top job as district attorney is not a training ground for inexperienced politicians with pie in the sky promises they can’t keep. Coming into the job you must stand ready to be a trainer – not the trainee. Expecting others to do what you don’t know how to do yourself is not leadership. That is why it is so important to have experience as a prosecutor before going for the top job.”
Krones promises effective leadership based on years of experience as a prosecutor as well as her years in the U.S. Army as an attorney.
She has extensive training in all aspects of criminal law including specialized training in prosecuting child sexual assault, domestic violence and elder abuse.
As district attorney, Krones said she continues to handle cases in court and mentors new deputy district attorneys.
“As the district attorney you have to know what is happening in court and the issues that the line prosecutors are dealing with every day. The job is not only about making policies and overseeing the office. It includes making leadership decisions based on the realities of court on a daily basis,” Krones said.
A full understanding of the laws – especially those recently passed to reduce inmate populations – is foundational to the job, she said.
“New regulations recommended by the Department of Corrections seek to dramatically increase prison credits for inmates in prison for serious and violent felonies,” Krones said. “That is why I joined 39 other district attorneys statewide in a lawsuit to prevent these credits from implementation.”
Krones said an essential aspect of leadership in the District Attorney’s Office is experience being in the trenches prosecuting all manner of crimes and then guiding novice prosecutors with their cases.
She explained that anyone seeking to serve as district attorney should have some criminal prosecution jury trial experience. “That is our bread and butter of what we do. My opponent has never prosecuted a jury trial and refuses to divulge how many criminal cases he has actually taken to jury trial as defense counsel. That is a red flag.”
Krones agrees that the courts have a backlog of trials. COVID-19, as most would understand, is the culprit, she said.
“My opponent proposes to get rid of the backlog of misdemeanor cases by denying defendants the right to a jury trial and instead taking all the cases to a judge for a court trial,” Krones said. “Under Article 16 of the California Constitution defendants have a right to jury trial for all felonies as well as misdemeanor charges. This is something every attorney would know if they have any experience in criminal law.”
To learn more about Krones’ qualifications for reelection, the public is invited to join her on Sunday, April 3, from 2 to 5 p.m. at Wine in the Willows, 125 Park St. in Lakeport for her official campaign kick-off. Refreshments will be served.