Less severe, and more contagious.
The coronavirus has so many variants that, by now, it can be difficult to keep track of what’s what. The newest addition to those deemed news-worthy is the BA.5 variant. This subvariant arose following the Omicron variant of COVID-19 and has circled the globe just as quickly. Here’s what we know about it, in a nutshell, and how to protect yourself.
Its symptoms are similar to those of other variants
By now, it’s difficult to avoid information about typical novel coronavirus symptoms. You’re likely aware these can include a headache, fever, stuffy nose, dry cough, sore throat, overall fatigue, muscle pain, and sometimes nausea and diarrhea. Suffering from any of these can be uncomfortable and even worse. The good news is, some experts are saying the symptoms of the BA.5 variant appear to be less grave than those caused by the Delta variant. Whether this is the result of people being vaccinated or having already caught the virus previously, or whether it’s because the virus is actually becoming less potent isn’t entirely certain.
It might be the most contagious
Less powerful but more contagious seems to be the name of the game when it comes to this version of COVID-19. As a subvariant of Omicron, BA.5 has developed mutations on the virus’ spike protein that have allowed it to become more effective at evading the human immune system.
Related: This rare bacteria found in Mississippi soil is alarming officials
This means if you’ve received your COVID-19 vaccines or you’ve already survived the virus, the immune protection you’ve developed won’t necessarily prevent you from catching this version of COVID once again.
It’s better at evading vaccines
Experts are also saying this variant of COVID-19 is better at evading the current coronavirus vaccines and boosters. This being said, the fact that being vaccinated still has a good chance of preventing you from falling seriously sick with the virus is still being preached. Yes, getting vaccinated can still be beneficial and well worth the effort.
“It’s really important for people to understand that vaccines aren’t likely to provide long-term protection from getting infected, but they significantly increase the likelihood that your illness will be short, and not severe,” said Stephen Goldstein, PhD.
Goldstein is a virologist at the University of Utah Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine and spoke to the University of Utah’s online Health publication.
Where the novel coronavirus is now heading and what journey we’ll all be on come fall and winter remains to be seen. Some say we should expect to take one step forward and a few steps back for a while to come.
William Hanage, an epidemiologist and associate professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, points out that deaths in the US are currently hovering around 400 people per day and this is a number many are considering to be low. If things stayed this way and didn’t rise throughout the winter months, which seems unlikely based on the virus’ history, this would still amount to a large number of deaths. In fact, Hanage points out it would present results more than twice as bad as the worst flu seasons in recent times.
While we consider our COVID numbers to be “good” at the moment, it’s important to keep things in perspective.
Get vaccinated and mask up.
photo credits: stockwars/Shutterstock.com
