Maybe you’ve already met? 29% of new US cases week before last and 35% of new covid cases last week were these two variants. Apparently highly contagious and the vaccines provide some protection but not near what was there with earlier variants.
”They recently found that the BA.4 and BA.5 viruses were more likely to escape antibodies from the blood of fully vaccinated and boosted adults compared with other Omicron subvariants, raising the risk of vaccine-breakthrough Covid-19 infections.”
“BA.4 and BA.5 are the fastest spreading variants reported to date, and they are expected to dominate Covid-19 transmission in the United States, United Kingdom and the rest of Europe within the next few weeks, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.”
“Moderna's bivalent Covid-19 vaccine booster, named mRNA-1273.214, elicited a "potent" immune responses against the Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5, the company said Wednesday.”
I think I've met one of them this week. I tested positive today despite 2 x AZs and a Moderna on board. Thanks to the jabs it's no more than a mild dose of man flu with a headache, which I am treating with two bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon and some cheese sandwiches.