Prof. Agnieszka Szuster-Ciesielska made the prediction in an interview with Polish state news agency PAP on Thursday.
Prof. Agnieszka Szuster-Ciesielska. Photo: PAP/Wojtek Jargiło
BQ.1 and BQ.1.1
She said the two new omicron subvariants, BQ.1 and BQ.1.1, were now responsible for some 50 percent of COVID-19 cases in England, 70 percent in France and 30 percent in Germany.
Szuster-Ciesielska added: “We are expecting these viruses to reach Poland as well, any moment now, and to dominate among COVID-19 infections.”
She told the PAP news agency that "vaccine-induced immunity and infection-induced immunity do not apply to either BQ.1 or BQ.1.1."
Moreover, "the monoclonal antibodies, administered commercially in the treatment of serious COVID-19 cases, are completely ineffective when it comes to the BQ.1.1 subvariant,” Szuster-Ciesielska said, adding that this might pose a problem in curing those COVID-19 patients whose immune system “is weakened to begin with.”
Different symptoms
Szuster-Ciesielska cautioned that the BQ.1 subvariant often produced different symptoms than those observed so far.
She said: “Rather than affecting the lower respiratory tract, the symptoms are usually similar to a common cold, including a sore throat, muscle pain, cough and headaches. However, even more frequent are gastric symptoms, such as diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal pain.”
Szuster-Ciesielska also said that there was “a very small likelihood” that "the COVID-19 recombinant variant XBB," which is on the rise in India, could arrive and dominate infections in Europe, the PAP news agency reported.
Poland this week rolled out COVID-19 vaccination for the youngest children.
Last month, Health Minister Adam Niedzielski announced that mask wearing would remain compulsory in hospitals, clinics and pharmacies nationwide at least until the end of March to limit the spread of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases.
In September, Poland began administering second COVID-19 booster shots to people aged over 12.
(pm/gs)
Source: PAP, bankier.pl