The newest offshoot of Omicron, along with a closely related variant, BA.4, are fueling a global surge in cases — 30% in the past fortnight, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
In Europe, the Omicron subvariants increase cases by about 25%, although Dr Michael Ryan, the executive director of the WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme, said the number may actually be higher given the “near collapse of the tests”. BA.5 is on its way to China, raising concerns that major cities there may soon reimpose strict quarantine measures that were only recently lifted. And the same strain has become the dominant strain in the United States, where it accounted for 65% of new infections last week, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“We’ve been watching this virus evolve rapidly. We’ve been planning and preparing for this moment. And the message I want to get across to the American people is this: BA.5 is something we’re watching closely, and most importantly, we know how to we’re managing it,” Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House’s Covid-19 response coordinator, said at a news briefing on Tuesday.
On the same day, the WHO Emergency Committee said that Covid-19 remains a public health emergency of international concern – the highest level of alert, first declared on 20 January 2020 – amid increasing cases, continued mutation of the virus and increasing pressure on already overstretched health systems. In a statement, the panel, which is made up of independent experts, highlighted challenges to the ongoing global Covid-19 response, including declining testing and spotty genome sequencing, raising the question of how accurate each can reasonably be. nation able to monitor BA.5. Official figures dramatically underestimate the true number of infections in the US, epidemiologists say, leaving the nation with a critical blind spot as the most contagious variant of the coronavirus still around. Some experts believe there may be as many as 1 million new infections each day in the wider US population — 10 times higher than the official figure.
As for how to manage the new wave, Jah urged Americans 50 and older to get second booster shots. Adults who are up-to-date with vaccinations are less likely to be hospitalized than those who are not vaccinated. But only one in four U.S. adults over age 50 have taken the recommended second boosters, according to data compiled by the CDC.
US health officials are urgently working on a plan to allow second Covid-19 boosters for all adults, a senior White House official confirmed to CNN on Monday, amid fears that immunity in younger adults may be waning as cases of Covid- 19 increase with dominance. of BA.5. What makes BA.5 different? Eric Topol, a cardiologist and professor of molecular medicine at Scripps Research, called BA.5 “the worst version of the virus we’ve seen.” He explained in a recent newsletter: “It takes immune evasion, already extensive, to the next level, and, as a function of that, enhanced transmissibility,” well beyond previous versions of Omicron.
In other words, BA.5 can easily evade immunity from previous infections and vaccines, increasing the risk of re-infection. Although the variant does not appear to lead to more severe disease, in an interview with CNN on Monday, Topol said that given the extent of immune evasion of BA.5, he expects to see an escalation of hospitalizations, as we have seen in Europe and elsewhere where the variation has taken root. “One good thing is that it doesn’t seem to be accompanied by ICU admissions and deaths like previous variants, but this is definitely a concern,” he added.
Public health experts in the US may take solace from the trajectory of the variant in Europe. The WHO’s Ryan said last week that while many European countries are experiencing a jump in hospitalizations, “what we’re not seeing is an increase in intensive care unit admissions, so the vaccines are still very much working and it’s these gaps in immunity that are causing the problem ».
However, sharp declines in Covid-19 surveillance worldwide are hampering the efforts of epidemiologists as they struggle to trace the evolution of the virus.
“Subvariants of Omicron, such as BA.4 and BA.5, continue to cause waves of cases, hospitalizations and deaths around the world,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a media briefing on Tuesday. “Surveillance has declined significantly – including testing and sequencing – making it increasingly difficult to assess the impact of variations on transmission, disease characteristics and the effectiveness of countermeasures.”
“The new waves of the virus prove again that Covid-19 [pandemic] it’s nowhere,” he added.
QUESTIONS. WE ANSWERED.
Q: How should I protect myself amid the new wave of Covid-19? A: At this point in the pandemic, many people may no longer want to plan their lives around Covid-19 — especially if they are generally healthy. On the other hand, those with underlying health conditions or who are concerned about long-term symptoms are still trying to make it safe. Given how contagious the new Omicron subvariants are, avoiding infection requires some planning and care, explains CNN Medical Analyst Dr. Leana Wen. “I don’t think most people should change their daily activities, but I think people should be aware of the risk of contracting Covid-19 if they don’t take extra precautions,” Wen said. The question you have to ask yourself, he added, is this: How much do I want to keep avoiding infection? For people who want to reduce their risk, Wen advises staying current with their boosters (in the U.S., anyone age 5 or older can get a first booster, and those 50 and older can a second reminder for a total of four shots). He also recommends wearing a high-quality N95 mask or equivalent in crowded indoor spaces and staying out of large gatherings as much as possible — easier to do in the summer. “For those who find masks uncomfortable, I would encourage wearing a mask in higher-risk settings — for example, a mask while in a crowded airport security line and when boarding and disembarking a plane,” he said. Submit your questions here. Are you a healthcare worker fighting Covid-19? Message us on WhatsApp about your challenges: +1 347-322-0415.
READINGS OF THE WEEK
First Covid vaccine mandate imposed in mainland China
Beijing last week announced a Covid-19 vaccine mandate for residents who want to enter public spaces, becoming the first city in mainland China to do so as it tries to contain the spread of BA.5, Nectar Gan writes. Those “ineligible” for vaccination will be exempt from the requirement, a city official said, without specifying how they can provide the proof needed for the exemption. The vaccine order comes as Beijing reported three cases of the highly contagious Omicron sub-variant. Several Chinese cities have imposed new restrictions following the detection of BA.5. Shanghai, which only recently emerged from a two-month lockdown, detected its first case on Friday and will conduct two rounds of Covid tests this week. An outbreak of BA.5 has already shut down the northwestern city of Xi’an, home to 13 million people, where entertainment, sports and religious venues have been closed and restaurants have been limited to takeout and delivery services. Casinos in the gaming hub of Macau were ordered to close for the first time since February 2020 due to the Covid outbreak, sending shares of operating companies tumbling and fears of another lockdown in Shanghai undermining China’s broader market. Chinese shares remained under pressure after Monday’s sell-off fueled by the threat of new Covid restrictions, especially in the tech sector, Laura He reports.
Drug-resistant infections and deaths have increased among hospital patients
The US had made significant progress in combating drug-resistant infections in recent years. But those gains were largely erased during the Covid-19 pandemic, with hospital-acquired infections and resulting deaths set to rise by 15% in 2020, according to new data, reports Deidre McPhillips.
A special report released Tuesday by the CDC found that more than 29,400 people died from antimicrobial-resistant infections in the first year of the pandemic — nearly 40 percent of those deaths were among people who contracted the infection while in the hospital. The full number is likely even higher, given that data for half of the 18 pathogens identified as threats are unavailable or lagging.
The WHO called antimicrobial resistance a “silent pandemic,” and drug-resistant infections were linked to nearly 5 million deaths worldwide in 2019. The Covid-19 pandemic likely contributed to the increased risk in the U.S., particularly because many people delayed care or abandoned infections that are not being treated – either due to closed clinics or fear of being exposed to Covid-19 – which may increase the risk of developing drug resistance.
Pulse oximeters don’t work as well for people of color
Often, when Dr. Thomas Valley sees a new patient in the intensive care unit at Michigan Medicine in Ann Arbor, he clips a pulse oximeter to their finger — one of several devices he uses to gauge their health and the course of care they need. whether it is a child with seizures, a teenage victim of a car accident or an elderly person with Covid-19.
But recently, Valley, an assistant professor at the University of Michigan’s Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care, realized that the small device might yield less accurate oxygen readings in dark-skinned patients. If the device is not calibrated…
title: “Ba.5 The Worst Variant Is Here " ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-02” author: “Robert Price”
The newest offshoot of Omicron, along with a closely related variant, BA.4, are fueling a global surge in cases — 30% in the past fortnight, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
In Europe, the Omicron subvariants increase cases by about 25%, although Dr Michael Ryan, the executive director of the WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme, said the number may actually be higher given the “near collapse of the tests”. BA.5 is on its way to China, raising concerns that major cities there may soon reimpose strict quarantine measures that were only recently lifted. And the same strain has become the dominant strain in the United States, where it accounted for 65% of new infections last week, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“We’ve been watching this virus evolve rapidly. We’ve been planning and preparing for this moment. And the message I want to get across to the American people is this: BA.5 is something we’re watching closely, and most importantly, we know how to we’re managing it,” Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House’s Covid-19 response coordinator, said at a news briefing on Tuesday.
On the same day, the WHO Emergency Committee said that Covid-19 remains a public health emergency of international concern – the highest level of alert, first declared on 20 January 2020 – amid increasing cases, continued mutation of the virus and increasing pressure on already overstretched health systems. In a statement, the panel, which is made up of independent experts, highlighted challenges to the ongoing global Covid-19 response, including declining testing and spotty genome sequencing, raising the question of how accurate each can reasonably be. nation able to monitor BA.5. Official figures dramatically underestimate the true number of infections in the US, epidemiologists say, leaving the nation with a critical blind spot as the most contagious variant of the coronavirus still around. Some experts believe there may be as many as 1 million new infections each day in the wider US population — 10 times higher than the official figure.
As for how to manage the new wave, Jah urged Americans 50 and older to get second booster shots. Adults who are up-to-date with vaccinations are less likely to be hospitalized than those who are not vaccinated. But only one in four U.S. adults over age 50 have taken the recommended second boosters, according to data compiled by the CDC.
US health officials are urgently working on a plan to allow second Covid-19 boosters for all adults, a senior White House official confirmed to CNN on Monday, amid fears that immunity in younger adults may be waning as cases of Covid- 19 increase with dominance. of BA.5. What makes BA.5 different? Eric Topol, a cardiologist and professor of molecular medicine at Scripps Research, called BA.5 “the worst version of the virus we’ve seen.” He explained in a recent newsletter: “It takes immune evasion, already extensive, to the next level, and, as a function of that, enhanced transmissibility,” well beyond previous versions of Omicron.
In other words, BA.5 can easily evade immunity from previous infections and vaccines, increasing the risk of re-infection. Although the variant does not appear to lead to more severe disease, in an interview with CNN on Monday, Topol said that given the extent of immune evasion of BA.5, he expects to see an escalation of hospitalizations, as we have seen in Europe and elsewhere where the variation has taken root. “One good thing is that it doesn’t seem to be accompanied by ICU admissions and deaths like previous variants, but this is definitely a concern,” he added.
Public health experts in the US may take solace from the trajectory of the variant in Europe. The WHO’s Ryan said last week that while many European countries are experiencing a jump in hospitalizations, “what we’re not seeing is an increase in intensive care unit admissions, so the vaccines are still very much working and it’s these gaps in immunity that are causing the problem ».
However, sharp declines in Covid-19 surveillance worldwide are hampering the efforts of epidemiologists as they struggle to trace the evolution of the virus.
“Subvariants of Omicron, such as BA.4 and BA.5, continue to cause waves of cases, hospitalizations and deaths around the world,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a media briefing on Tuesday. “Surveillance has declined significantly – including testing and sequencing – making it increasingly difficult to assess the impact of variations on transmission, disease characteristics and the effectiveness of countermeasures.”
“The new waves of the virus prove again that Covid-19 [pandemic] it’s nowhere,” he added.
QUESTIONS. WE ANSWERED.
Q: How should I protect myself amid the new wave of Covid-19? A: At this point in the pandemic, many people may no longer want to plan their lives around Covid-19 — especially if they are generally healthy. On the other hand, those with underlying health conditions or who are concerned about long-term symptoms are still trying to make it safe. Given how contagious the new Omicron subvariants are, avoiding infection requires some planning and care, explains CNN Medical Analyst Dr. Leana Wen. “I don’t think most people should change their daily activities, but I think people should be aware of the risk of contracting Covid-19 if they don’t take extra precautions,” Wen said. The question you have to ask yourself, he added, is this: How much do I want to keep avoiding infection? For people who want to reduce their risk, Wen advises staying current with their boosters (in the U.S., anyone age 5 or older can get a first booster, and those 50 and older can a second reminder for a total of four shots). He also recommends wearing a high-quality N95 mask or equivalent in crowded indoor spaces and staying out of large gatherings as much as possible — easier to do in the summer. “For those who find masks uncomfortable, I would encourage wearing a mask in higher-risk settings — for example, a mask while in a crowded airport security line and when boarding and disembarking a plane,” he said. Submit your questions here. Are you a healthcare worker fighting Covid-19? Message us on WhatsApp about your challenges: +1 347-322-0415.
READINGS OF THE WEEK
First Covid vaccine mandate imposed in mainland China
Beijing last week announced a Covid-19 vaccine mandate for residents who want to enter public spaces, becoming the first city in mainland China to do so as it tries to contain the spread of BA.5, Nectar Gan writes. Those “ineligible” for vaccination will be exempt from the requirement, a city official said, without specifying how they can provide the proof needed for the exemption. The vaccine order comes as Beijing reported three cases of the highly contagious Omicron sub-variant. Several Chinese cities have imposed new restrictions following the detection of BA.5. Shanghai, which only recently emerged from a two-month lockdown, detected its first case on Friday and will conduct two rounds of Covid tests this week. An outbreak of BA.5 has already shut down the northwestern city of Xi’an, home to 13 million people, where entertainment, sports and religious venues have been closed and restaurants have been limited to takeout and delivery services. Casinos in the gaming hub of Macau were ordered to close for the first time since February 2020 due to the Covid outbreak, sending shares of operating companies tumbling and fears of another lockdown in Shanghai undermining China’s broader market. Chinese shares remained under pressure after Monday’s sell-off fueled by the threat of new Covid restrictions, especially in the tech sector, Laura He reports.
Drug-resistant infections and deaths have increased among hospital patients
The US had made significant progress in combating drug-resistant infections in recent years. But those gains were largely erased during the Covid-19 pandemic, with hospital-acquired infections and resulting deaths set to rise by 15% in 2020, according to new data, reports Deidre McPhillips.
A special report released Tuesday by the CDC found that more than 29,400 people died from antimicrobial-resistant infections in the first year of the pandemic — nearly 40 percent of those deaths were among people who contracted the infection while in the hospital. The full number is likely even higher, given that data for half of the 18 pathogens identified as threats are unavailable or lagging.
The WHO called antimicrobial resistance a “silent pandemic,” and drug-resistant infections were linked to nearly 5 million deaths worldwide in 2019. The Covid-19 pandemic likely contributed to the increased risk in the U.S., particularly because many people delayed care or abandoned infections that are not being treated – either due to closed clinics or fear of being exposed to Covid-19 – which may increase the risk of developing drug resistance.
Pulse oximeters don’t work as well for people of color
Often, when Dr. Thomas Valley sees a new patient in the intensive care unit at Michigan Medicine in Ann Arbor, he clips a pulse oximeter to their finger — one of several devices he uses to gauge their health and the course of care they need. whether it is a child with seizures, a teenage victim of a car accident or an elderly person with Covid-19.
But recently, Valley, an assistant professor at the University of Michigan’s Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care, realized that the small device might yield less accurate oxygen readings in dark-skinned patients. If the device is not calibrated…
