Janayugom Webdesk
Berlin
July 18, 2022
Warning that Europe is entering another wave of Covid. The highly proliferative subtype of Omicron, BA5, has been confirmed in the majority of cases reported in Europe. The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) says the lifting of restrictions on international travel and the allowing of public events have contributed to the rapid spread of the virus.
Officials also point out that the number of patients could be double the current number as most countries have drastically reduced the number of tests. Experts say governments are lax in reinstating Covid restrictions. This also causes disease spread. Martin McKee, professor of European public health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, says there is no guarantee that current vaccines will effectively prevent future variants.
ECDC has issued a new guideline that people above 60 years of age and those with other health problems should take a second booster dose of the vaccine in the face of increasing disease transmission. In the UK, the government announced on Friday that it will expand its Covid booster dose campaign to include everyone aged 50 and over. Reports suggest that more patients are being admitted to the hospital than the official figures. In addition to Europe, the BA5 subtype is also spreading in the US. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 65 percent of the cases reported in the country have confirmed the BA5 variant.
English Summary: BA 5 spreads: new wave of Covid in Europe
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