Health officials: BA.5 subvariant “highly infectious”

Published by BBNTEAM at July 12, 2022

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Posted: Tuesday, July 12, 2022. 2:21 pm CST.

By Zoila Palma Gonzalez: Data from the World Health Organization (WHO) shows that reported cases of COVID-19 have increased by almost 30% globally over the last 2 weeks.

Health experts say that BA.4 and BA.5 variants are driving new waves of the disease in Europe and the United States.

In addition, health officials say that those who were infected with COVID-19 during the first Omicron wave are not protected against the current highly infectious BA.5 strain, Yahoo reports.

Today, the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr. Anthony Fauci said that the BA.5 subvariant “substantially evades” antibodies from both vaccination and prior infection.

“Omicron as a broad category has been particularly problematic,” Fauci said.

Dr. Fauci noted that this BA.5 variant currently accounts for 64% of cases in the U.S.

And, health experts continue to advise the public to get vaccinated as it does reduce the risk of ending up in the ICU.

The Ministry of Health and Wellness confirmed the presence of the omicron BA.5 subvariant in Belize today.

The public is advised to use a well-fitted face mask, especially in crowded indoor areas, and practice regular hand washing and sanitization.

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