The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that Omicron BA.5 is the dominant strain in the US.
While this variant is fast-spreading, it appears to be less severe than earlier versions of the virus and its symptoms are the same.
The symptoms of Omicron infections are usually cold. In Omicron cases, there are some symptoms that are still present, but not as much as in earlier versions.
According to experts at Colorado University, BA.5 affects the upper respiratory tract. Infections experts Thomas Campbell, MD, and Steven Johnson, MD, explained in a news release that Omicron is less likely to affect the lungs compared with previous versions.
The loss of smell, which was a signature symptom in early COVID-19 cases, is rarely seen with the Omicron subvariants.
According to the CDC, the BA.5 subvariant accounts for more than half of the infections in the country. It is well on its way to becoming the dominant variant in the US according to David Dowdy.
The symptoms are similar to recent Omicron subvariants and the severity seems to be decreasing. The immune system can be trained to respond to a threat without overwhelming the body.
"Our bodies are also adapting, just as the virus is," he said. Things are not getting better with every variant. Our bodies are getting smarter and we are seeing less serious infections.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said there is still a risk that hospitals may become overwhelmed due to the transmissibility of the strain.
Hundreds of people in the US are dying from the same disease every day, and that's not a reason for them to die. The average case is getting less severe over time.
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