This comes at a time when the World Health Organization has warned of the widespread spread of the new Omicron mutant, stressing that “the epidemic is not near its end.”
Since the beginning of this month, the organization has recorded an increase in cases of about 30%, most of them in Europe and the United States.
“BA.5” is characterized by its ability to evade the immune system and has a rapid spread rate four times that of an omicron, and experts say that it spreads in particular among people who have not been infected with the virus before.
Symptoms include persistent cough, runny nose, sore throat and headache, along with fatigue and night sweats in some cases.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the White House’s chief medical advisor, said in an interview with the American “ABC News” website: “The worrying thing about BA.5 is its ability to evade immunity obtained from vaccination or from a previous infection, in addition to the speed It’s spreading, which is why we’re seeing an increase in the number of cases.”
“The good news is that people who are fully vaccinated and have their immunity boosted are generally well protected from severe repercussions,” he added.
For his part, Michael Osterholm, an epidemiologist and director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, told the British newspaper “The Guardian”: “It will probably take us another two weeks to really understand what is happening with BA.5.”
Experts point out that the extent of the spread of the new mutation depends on the amount of pre-existing immunity and mitigation strategies that have been followed by each country, and how prepared they are for another wave.