Cases of the emerging coronavirus are seeing a significant increase in a number of countries as “BA.5” becomes the dominant mutation, raising fears of a new wave.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization has warned of the widespread spread of the new Omicron mutant and has stressed that “the epidemic is far from over.”
Since the beginning of this month, the organization has recorded an increase of about 30 percent in cases, most of them in Europe and the United States.
“BA.5” is characterized by its ability to escape the immune system, and it spreads rapidly at four times the speed of a micron, and experts say it spreads especially among people who have not previously been infected with the virus.
Symptoms include persistent cough, runny nose, sore throat and headache, along with fatigue and night sweats in some cases.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the chief medical adviser of the White House, said in an interview with the American website “ABC News” that the worrying thing about BA.5 is its ability to escape immunity obtained from vaccination or previous infection. “It’s spreading rapidly, which is why we’re seeing an increase in the number of cases.”
“The good news is that people who are fully vaccinated and their immunity is boosted are generally well protected from severe consequences,” he added.
Michael Osterholm, an epidemiologist and director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, told Britain’s Guardian newspaper: “It will probably be another two weeks before we really understand what’s going on.” with BA.5.”
Experts note that the extent to which the new mutation spreads depends on the level of immunity and mitigation strategies each country already has in place, and how prepared they are for another wave.
Source: Lebanon Debate
