How bad is the BA.5 COVID variant really?

If you have recently been infected with COVID, it is likely that it was BA.5 and is currently the predominant strain in the United States. This new version of COVID is not, but is a concern. that It’s different from what came before that. Here’s what you need to know:

Where did BA.5 come from?

In reality, it’s not a brand new variant. BA.5 is a branch of the Omicron family tree. please remember. First the original flavor SARS-Cov-2, then Alpha around Thanksgiving 2020, struck by the Delta in the summer and fall of 2021, and Omicron arrived at the end of 2021. Looking at the COVID hospitalization chart over time, you can clearly see the peaks for each variant. )

The original Omicron strain was BA.1. After that, BA.2 continued in the United States. Currently, BA.2 is declining, but BA.5 (and its close relatives, BA.4) is increasing. BA.4 and BA.5 are so similar to each other that public health authorities often collectively refer to them as “BA.4 / 5”.

Are vaccines obsolete?

No. Your immunity (due to a vaccine or previous infection) is not useless. People need to stop saying this. That said, BA.5 is so different from previous strains that immunity does not provide complete protection.

Vaccines currently on the market have the same prescription as when they were first licensed. In other words, they were based on the original flavor COVID. Since then, the virus has been quite mutated. Represcribed shots should be available this fallAnd they are expected to provide more protection against BA.5 than current vaccines.

Still, those who have been vaccinated with the old vaccine are fairly well protected from severe illness. If you have been vaccinated and have a mild COVID infection, it is very likely that your vaccination status remains mild. for example, B.1 This study on Omicron We found that unvaccinated people were 23 times more likely to be hospitalized than those who were vaccinated and boosted.

Are we all going to be re-infected?

You may also have heard that it became possible to re-infect BA.5 every few weeks. This is also based on a misunderstanding. Omicron is quite different from delta, so after getting delta, Get Omicron after just a few weeks..But that’s No It’s the same as saying that you can get Omicron many times.

No evidence to suggest that’s right. In fact, most people infected with BA.5 No I was previously infected with COVID. Reinfection may seem like a new phenomenon, partly because not many people were infected during the first year or two of the pandemic. The percentage of people who have recovered from COVID has jumped from 30% Up to 60% This past winter.As science journalist Ed Yong Point out“We are now hearing more about reinfection as the number of people who are likely to be reinfected has doubled.”

So: YThat is, the virus can circumvent some of our protection (from vaccines and previous infections). It is important to avoid infection, even if you have been infected before. These updated vaccines are welcome on arrival. But the point is that it’s the same old virus, Another taste..