According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a new Omicron sub variant of the coronaviruses has become dominant in the U.S. It's the worst variant we've seen so far due to its high transmissibility and ability to evade immunity.
Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC, said at a virtual press briefing on Tuesday that people with prior infections are still at risk.
Walensky and other top U.S. health officials warned that a new surge was coming. They said that so far, BA.5 has not caused more serious disease.
Fauci said that it doesn't seem to be associated with greater disease severity or hospitalizations compared to the most recent subvariants.
The current vaccines are very protective against disease and death. The country has the ability to protect against infections and serious illnesses with the use of high-quality masks and treatments.
Dr. Monica Gandhi is an infectious disease doctor at the University of California, San Francisco.
It's important to stay up to date on the vaccinations.
The vaccine is the most important tool to protect people against serious illness, hospitalizations and death, according to the White House. It's important to stay up to date as we see a rise in BA.
Gandhi told Yahoo News that BA.5 seems to evade neutralizing antibodies, and that this is probably why we are seeing more re infections. She said that our T-cells are still working.
T-cells play an important role in the immune system. T-cells act as another line of defense when a virus enters the body, preventing it from spreading and causing serious disease.
Gandhi wrote on Medscape that mild upper respiratory infections will be common. She told Yahoo News that our T-cells will protect us against severe outcomes.
The Vaccines are still protecting us against severe disease, which is the worst problem, according to Gandhi.
According to Walensky, the CDC is still gathering data on the vaccine's effectiveness. Recent data on vaccine effectiveness from South Africa was pointed out by Gandhi. According to a report from the largest health care system in that country, two doses of the Pfizer vaccine are effective against hospitalized patients.
Staying protected against BA.5 requires boosters.
If you are eligible, experts stress the importance of getting boosted now. Some studies show that vaccine protection against infections and serious outcomes from COVID-19 fades over time for people who are older and immune compromised.
Those who are older, those who are immunocompromised, those who have multiple medical conditions should be very up-to-date on their boosters because they're more at risk when there's high amounts of circulating virus.
Up to four doses of the vaccine can be given to Americans who are 50 years or older and who are moderately or severely immune.
The risk of dying from COVID-19 for adults aged 50 and older who have received two booster doses is only 25% of the risk for those who have received one booster dose. It's important to stay up to date on your COVID-19 vaccines.
Younger people are eligible for a first booster. The Pfizer or Moderna vaccine should be given to those in this age group at least five months after completing their primary series, according to the CDC.
A second booster shot for people under the age of 50 is being considered by the U.S. regulators to give more protection to this age group.
The FDA is looking at it. The CDC scientists are looking at the data as well.
When an Omicron-specific vaccine is available, should you get a booster now?
Gandhi says that the current COVID-19 vaccines are designed to target the spikeprotein of the ancestral strain of the virus which first appeared in 2020.
Gandhi said that BA.5 looks very different from the ancestral strain, at least in the spikeProtein. She said that the booster is not helping them avoid mild infections.
Pfizer and Moderna are working on a vaccine that will target two subvariants. The Biden administration placed an order with Pfizer for 105 million doses.
Gandhi said that getting a booster now if you are eligible, and have not recently recovered from a COVID-19 infection, is a smart choice and does not preclude you from getting another Omicron-specific booster in the fall.
Gandhi said there has been no evidence that vaccines are harmful.
Exposure broadens your T-cell immunity. That is a positive thing. There is no harm in it. Gandhi cited a recent study that supported the recommendation.
Gandhi said that waiting for the Omicron vaccine in the fall is probably prudent for people under 50 who are healthy. She said that you will get antibodies that are tailored towards the circulating subvariant.
Treatments can help people who are high risk.
Some treatments can help people who are more likely to get very sick from COVID-19. Paxlovid has been shown to reduce the risk of hospitalizations and deaths.
According to the CDC, the medication needs to be given within five days of symptom onset for it to work effectively.
People who test positive for COVID-19 should talk to a health care provider to see if they are eligible for any of the treatments.
To find a Test to Treat location in your area, Americans are urged to visit COVID.gov.
We've worked very hard to get more of these pills than any other country. There are more than 41,000 locations across the country where these treatments can be found.
What can I do to stop the spread of the disease?
Gandhi and the U.S. top health officials said that public health measures such as indoor masking and testing are important in preventing infections.
The CDC has developed a tool to check how much virus is circulating in each community, and to help people decide whether or not to hide in public spaces.
The CDC Community Levels map may not give a full picture of the number of infections and the degree of risk since many cases are not reported as more people test at home.
Gandhi says wearing a high quality mask in public places is a good way to avoid getting BA.5 right now.
It's also important to improve the air quality.
Improving indoor air quality can make a huge difference in reducing infections and spreading diseases. If you are a business or a school that brings people indoors, please improve the quality of the indoor air.
Testing is a key factor in stopping transmission.
If you've been exposed to someone with COVID-19, you need to be tested.
The cover photo is from CFOTO/future Publishing.
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