By Karen Kier, Pharmacist on behalf of the ONU HealthWise team

In 1959, Pete Seeger wrote the lyrics to Turn! Turn! Turn! referred to as To Everything There is a Season. The song is based on the first eight verses of the third chapter of Ecclesiastes. The song was first released by the Limeliters, but became a hit when the Byrds released it. The song hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on December 4, 1965. 

Don Henley inducted the Byrds into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991. The band performed another one of their hits, Mr. Tambourine Man for the ceremony. One of the more famous original members was David Crosby who played guitar and provided vocals. He later was a member of Crosby, Stills & Nash. The music world lost this icon in January, 2023.  

Speaking of seasons and turning–we are heading into flu and RSV season. COVID-19 does not seem to have a distinct season especially with the recent uptick in hospitalized cases. It is difficult to get accurate numbers since routine testing and reporting is not being recorded for cases, so hospital visits are our best indicator of COVID-19 spread. 

The Ohio Department of Health does have a dashboard with trends in Ohio. As of August 21, the trend over the last three weeks indicates an increase in both cases and hospitalizations with a slight increase in ICU admissions. However, the death rate is about the same for those weeks. 

There are two SARS-CoV-2 variants being watched by the CDC and the World Health Organization (WHO). The EG.5 Omicron descendent has been labeled a variant of interest by the WHO, while the highly mutated Omicron variant known as BA.2.86 has been classified as a variant under monitoring. 

The EG.5 variant is rapidly spreading in the United States overtaking its XBB.1.16 and XBB.1.5 Omicron cousins. The EG.5 variant is descended from the XBB.1.9.2 Omicron variant with a similar spike protein to XBB.1.5. The EG.5 has the ability to evade the antibodies produced by exposure to previous infections and vaccinations. This escape potential from attack by the immune system (the body’s ability to attack and protect) has been classified by the WHO as moderate. 

The more worrisome variant is the recently identified BA.2.86 strain. This variant has 36 new mutations from the XBB.1.5 Omicron variant. This variant is considered a second-generation variant from the BA.2 family. The BA.2 variant was a major player in the spread and high number of cases in 2022. 

This variant has been identified in Denmark, Israel, England, and now in the United States. The University of Michigan reported the new strain to the CDC after detecting it with their surveillance program. Scientists are trying to determine the impact of this highly mutated BA.2.86 Omicron variant. This greater number of mutations provides the potential for it to easily infect cells and rapidly spread from person to person. 

What does this mean for the next wave of COVID-19 vaccines?

The bivalent COVID-19 vaccines from both Pfizer and Moderna included the BA.4 and BA.5 providing some protection against the Omicron variants. The bivalent COVID-19 vaccine was ½ of the original Wuhan strain and ½ of the Omicron BA line. Right now, the current recommendation is to no longer recommend using the bivalent boosters even though they are still available. The bivalent vaccine does not offer enough protection against the newer Omicron variants. 

The recommendation is to wait for the next iteration of the COVID-19 vaccines. The new monovalent COVID-19 boosters available this fall will contain the Omicron XBB.1.5 lineage. This vaccine will provide more protection against Omicron. The new monovalent COVID-19 booster will provide the body some protection from the EG.5 variant responsible for a high percentage of the cases in the United States at the present time. The unknown right now is if the monovalent booster will provide similar protection against the highly mutated BA.2.86 variant. 

What can you do before the monovalent COVID-19 booster is available? 

Continue to be careful in social settings and provide distance. Masks still offer a viable option for protection. Interestingly, prior to the development of the COVID-19 vaccines, researchers noted that immunizations of any type boosted the immune system and helped control serious COVID-19 illnesses. Some scientists proposed providing flu shots until COVID-19 vaccines could be distributed globally for the immune boost. One option would be to get the flu vaccine now since it is available or wait until the monovalent booster is available and get both the flu and COVID-19 vaccines at the same time. Consult your provider for advice. 

The RSV vaccines are available for those over the age of 60 years. It is important to discuss the RSV vaccine with your healthcare professional. 

Every season, there is a turn, turn, turn in viruses!

ONU HealthWise is offering the flu vaccine Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. 

ONU HealthWise Pharmacy
419-772-3784