Brenda Goodman reports for CNN.com about the latest coronavirus variant, BA.2, which has already surfaced in multiple countries and 47 US states. Just at the point at which we are seeing a decline in Covid-19 infections and hospitalizations, BA.2 is rearing its ugly head. And, some experts believe that it’s uglier than the Omicron variant.
BA.2 is both spreading more quickly than the Delta variant and likely to be causing more severe illness. Vaccines appear not to work well to combat it, though booster shots do protect people. The data suggest that people with booster shots are 74 percent less likely to be ill after being infected with the virus.
What’s also concerning about BA.2 is that sotrovimab, a monoclonal antibody which works against Omicron, does not appear to work against BA.2.
The World Health Organization reports that BA.2 is 30 percent more contagious than Omicron. Still, hospitalization rates are significantly higher for people who are not vaccinated, particularly elderly Americans and immunocompromised individuals.
BA.2 is not fully understood yet. In Denmark, where most people with Covid-19 have BA.2, hospitalizations and deaths are on the rise. In other countries such as South Africa and the UK, where BA.2 has emerged, hospitalizations are declining.
What can you do to protect yourself and those around you? Keep wearing a mask, preferably a K95 or KN95, even if it is not required, whenever you are in enclosed spaces with others.
Here’s more from Just Care:
Leave a Reply