The BA.5 omicron variant is driving up Covid cases and hospitalizations as it spreads rapidly across the United States, but despite deaths remaining lower compared to earlier waves, experts warn Americans against letting their guard down too soon.
There is a new wave of cases in the US.
While Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations have been on the rise in most states in recent weeks and jumped 20% nationwide over the past fortnight, deaths have risen only slightly and have hovered around 300-400 a day since April.
Dr. Peter Chin-Hong is an infectious disease expert at the University of California, San Francisco.
Vaccines and past infections still provide strong protection against serious illness and death for BA.5 and there are more options to treat early disease like Pfizer's Paxlovid.
Chin-Hong said that Covid can cause severe symptoms even if you don't end up in the hospital and that symptoms can last for weeks.
Dr. Stuart Turville of the University of New South Wales in Australia told Forbes that avoiding infections can help protect people with weakened immune systems.
The US has seen a surge in transmissible omicron variant this year. The most infectious form of the virus quickly spread and became the dominant variant. It now accounts for an estimated 80% of cases according to the CDC. The Biden Administration announced new plans to tackle its spread after officials directed vaccine makers to target the variant in updated shots. It is important to keep up-to-date on vaccinations in order to ensure strong protection against serious disease. Booster take up in the US is poor despite the appeals of public health officials. According to CDC data, less than half of fully vaccineed people have received their first booster dose, and less than 30% have taken up the offer.
There are more versions of the same thing. Over time the virus that causes Covid-19 will evolve and create new versions. The internet has dubbed it "Centaurus", and it has already caught the attention of a group of experts. The variant is spreading quickly in India and has been found in Europe and North America. There isn't a lot of data and it's not known if BA.2.75 causes more severe disease. Chin-Hong said it was not clear whether it would be able to take over from BA.5 as the ruler of the roost.
A lot. The collection of data is not as good as it was earlier on. Evidence shows that cases could be much higher than the official figures suggest. Hospital figures are inflated and reflect routine testing upon admission which can lead to infections. Experts say there is a lot to understand about the newer omicron variant. Turville explained that it's hard to provide absolute and definitive answers because the newer omicrons like BA.5 and BA.4 are new to the community. He said it was a large bag of unknowns.
Turville told Forbes that the long-term effects of vaccine and exposure to the virus can be seen. He said that it has taken off the edge of disease severity due to itsturing immunity.
The cases are growing and likely undercounted, but they are a long way from the peak in January. In the month of July, there were around 100,000-120,000 cases reported, compared to over one million in January.
Is BA.5 related to the reinfection wave? There is a publication called The Atlantic.
Is it a good idea to get a covid booster. This is who should and how. There is a magazine called "Forbes."
Live updates on the coronaviruses.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
