covid: molnupiravir prob works for new variants
A recent lab study found that the antiviral agent molnupiravir seems to be effective against the newest omicron subvariants (BQ.1.1 and XBB): see covid omicron molnupravir effective NEJM2022 in dropbox, or DOI: 10.1056/NEJMc2214302 Background : -- there have been 3 sublineages of the initial omicron variant (B.1.1.529): BA.1, BA.2, and BA.5 (see second graph below) -- the current ones that are the circulating the most in the US (and much of the world): BQ.1.1 (a subvariant of BA.5) and XBB (a BA.2 subvariant) and now on its ascendency -- in fact, a recent article indicates XBB is becoming the dominant variant (and is already so in the Northeast), along with its own subsubvariants XBB.1 and XBB.1.5: https://edition. pagesuite.com/popovers/ dynamic_article_popover.aspx? artguid=458fe1fe-e157-4442- aa54-105c127b7904 from the Boston Globe -- these variants have large numbers of important substitutions in the rece...