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The White House said Tuesday to ensure that Americans have easy access to COVID-19 vaccines, treatments, and tests to contain the rapidly spreading Omicron BA.5 submutant, which accounts for the majority of US cases. rice field.
Health officials say there are signs that subvariants may be better at evading immunity, including previous infections.
BA.5 is estimated to account for 65% of the coronavirus variants prevalent in the United States as of last week, said Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
BA.5 becomes the mainstream of Omicron subvariants in the United States
Warrensky told reporters at the White House briefing last week that BA.5 and BA.4 subvariants accounted for more than 80% of the circulating variants, with BA.4 accounting for 16%. It occupied.
In the United States, she said, the average of seven-day COVID-19 hospitalizations has doubled since early May.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, an infectious disease expert who is President Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser, said BA.5 was associated with greater illness severity and hospitalization compared to the latest subvariants. He said he didn’t seem to.
In the same briefing, Fauci said, “Mutants will continue to emerge. Viruses are endemic worldwide and in this country. We shouldn’t disrupt our lives, but we need to deal with them. Cannot be denied that it is a reality. “
Officials said they prioritized booster shots, made home testing and widespread use of high-quality masks, and helped people with immunodeficiency.
“It can prevent serious illness and keep people away from hospitals, especially the ICU. It can save lives and minimize the confusion caused by COVID-19. In the face of BA.5. Ashish Jha, COVID-19 compliant coordinator at Tool White House, said:
“We are in a pandemic stage that can prevent most COVID-19 deaths,” he said.
The White House said widespread distribution of BA.5 means that new cases may increase in the coming weeks.
FDA wants COVID boosters to target OMICRON BA.4, BA.5 subvariants
“Immune is weakened, whether post-infection or post-vaccine immunity, but immediate protection after infection or vaccine is generally a good defense,” Fauci said. “If you are infected with BA.1, there are not many good protections against BA.4 / 5.”
The US Food and Drug Administration recommends that COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers change their booster shot design from the fall to enhance their fight against the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants.
A second boost now does not exclude the mutant-specific vaccine, Jha said.