Covid Variant BA.5 is the latest version of Covid-19. It viciously attacks both vaccinated and unvaccinated people alike. A concerned nation watched as President Joe Biden recently fought off this variant.
However, it was not the same kind of fight as the previous president Donald Trump waged. Why? First of all, this weakened virus is not the killer that the first iteration of Covid-19. Secondly, we have new weapons to fight Covid.
However, Omicron BA.5 is highly contagious and very resistant to our current vaccines. Still, being vaccinated and boosted helped lessen the president’s symptoms.
Likewise, we now have a medicine called Paxlovid, which is highly effective if taken early in the course of the disease. With Paxlovid in his system, the president was back in the oval office within 5 days.
Omicron Variant, BA.5 of Covid-19 Pushing New Surge in the U.S.
FLASS Brings You Fast Facts About the Latest Variant of Covid 19. The Bad News: BA.5 Is Surging. The Good News: We Have Paxlovid to Fight It.
Experts report that “Cases of COVID-19 are once again surging in the U.S.” Moreover the BA.5 omicron variant is fueling this latest wave. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention verified these facts.
Dr. Gregory Poland is the head of the Mayo Clinic Vaccine Research Group. He states that this “BA.5 omicron variant is hyper contagious…”
He also warned it might contribute to increases in hospitalizations and ICU admissions.” Why? It is stubbornly resistant to messenger RNA vaccines.
“A new study published in Nature found the variant was four times more resistant to messenger RNA vaccines than earlier strains of omicron.” We know the Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines are messenger RNA vaccines.
Some Good News about the Covid Variant BA.5
However, this is not the type of virus that leads to a higher death rate. Dr. Poland gives a few alerts:
1. He believes that the unvaccinated are five times more likely to get infected with the Omicron Variant BA.5…
2. Without the vaccinations, they are also about 7½ times more likely to be hospitalized.
3. Last but not least, without the help of the vaccinations, the unvaccinated are still 14 to 15 times more likely to risk death if they get the Covid Variant BA.5
Dr. Poland clarified these points with a little tough advice. “Let me make a clear point here that’s a little tough to hear.” On the one hand, he said, “Whether you’ve been vaccinated, whether you’ve been previously infected, whether you’ve been previously infected and vaccinated, you have very little protection against BA.5 in terms of getting infected or having mild to moderate infection.”
On the other hand, he added, “You have good protection against dying, being hospitalized, or ending up on a ventilator.”
Update your Covid-19 vaccinations and boosters for the best possible protection from a serious case of Omicron Variant BA.5.
Paxlovid Versus Covid Variant BA.5
It was almost half a year ago that writer Jason Howland made his first report on a new medicine for Mayo. And even then, doctors were excited about the take-home drug, Paxlovid. Pfizer makes this treatment. Additionally, it is highly effective against the omicron variant BA.5.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted emergency use authorization for a pill that can be taken at home to treat COVID-19. Paxlovid enjoys the fame of becoming the “first oral antiviral medication” authorized to help people, infected with COVID-19 before they are hospitalized.
Dr. Priya Sampathkumar, a Mayo Clinic infectious diseases specialist, stated, “This is an important addition to our COVID-19 mitigation toolkit.”
She added, “This oral pill means easier access for patients and less burden on the health care system. And unlike monoclonal antibodies, it should retain efficacy against variants…”
Who is Currently Eligible to Take Paxlovid?
The BA.5 Covid Variant Does Not Reach as Deeply into the Lungs as the Original Covid-19. You Might Not Even Need to Stay in the Hospital.
The FDA approved the drug for anyone 12 and older who tests positive for COVID-19.
- You must weigh more than 88 pounds.
- Your doctor considers you at elevated risk for progression to severe COVID-19 infection, including hospitalization and death.
- A health care provider must prescribe this treatment.
- Perhaps the most important point is that the patients must begin the treatment as soon as they are diagnosed, at least “within five days of symptom onset, according to the FDA.”
In summary, “Pfizer recently reported that Paxlovid reduced hospitalizations and deaths by 89% among people at substantial risk if given within a few days of their first COVID-19 symptoms.”
The FDA emphasizes that Paxlovid is not authorized to prevent COVID-19 infection, And most importantly, we should not consider it in any way as a substitute for COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters.
Six Fast FLASS Facts about the BA.5 Omicron Variant
1. BA.5 Omicron Variant Ignores Immunity
BA.5 has the power to escape immunity afforded by vaccinations as well as previous infections. Some experts say the BA.5 variant “takes immune escape and transmissibility to the next stage.” In fact, Eric Topol, a professor at Scripps Research, an American medical research facility, shared his concerns on these two facts with CNN.
A Special Note: At FLASS, doctors and staff temper these alarms with the fact that we now have Paxlovid to give to patients for home use. We can prevent the Omicron BA.5 from becoming severe.
2. View of the World Health Organization
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is the Director-General of the World Health Organization. He stated, “Along with BA.4, the BA.5 subvariant of Omicron is driving “waves of cases and hospitalization around the world…”
Therefore, it seems logical to follow this FLASS advice:
- Get tested and get a prescription from your doctor.
- Quarantine yourself for 5 days.
- Take your Paxlovid pills.
- And get over this Omicron BA.5 Variant
We can give this advice with cool heads in the U.S. We can say it because we have a great many people vaccinated.
3. Global Consideration
Our fourth consideration is that globally, many countries are not seeing Omicron BA.5 pushing hospitalized patients into intensive care. This is a greatly encouraging observation.
4. Know the Symptoms of the Omicron BA.5 Variant
Be aware this “variant will give patients a cough, sore throat, fever, runny nose, and fatigue –” These are familiar symptoms we have seen in other coronavirus strains.
One difference we are seeing is that this variant does not take a deep dive into the lungs.
5. Comparatively: How Threatening Are the COVID Variants?
How far spread are Omicron variants BA.4 and BA.5? These “variants now account for over 50 percent new cases in the United States, according to Yale Medicine.”
6. On the Watch: The World Health Organization
The BA.5 Variant Makes You Feel Fatigue With a Sore Throat. Take Your Prescription, Paxlovid. Then, Stay Home and Heal.
The last of our six fast FLASS facts is that we agree with the World Health Organization. They have announced that all sub-variants of Omicron are “variants of concern.” Maria Van Kerkhove, who is the COVID-19 technical lead, gave us a point with which we wholeheartedly agree.
She stated, “We are looking at severity. We have not seen an increased severity signal of BA.5”
And, at FLASS, we believe that point is a positive sign. It’s a sign we are using all the new tools in our medical bag to beat Covid-19. We are minimizing its effects on most patients.
An Update: A Terrific Take-Away for You to Embrace
At this point, many people are beginning to look at Omicron BA.5 as another flu on the radar. However, experts are urging us to be warier. And here is why:
1. Omicron BA.5 is causing a strange new surge of reinfections. Sharon Welbel, MD, is the director of hospital epidemiology and infection control at Cook County, Chicago. She stated, “Reinfections with BA.5 are surfacing as soon as four weeks after a previous infection—even with previous forms of Omicron.
2. In previous variants, experts did not observe a lot of reinfections. “BA.4, BA.5 is the first one where we’re seeing some reinfection.” This includes “people that had a prior version of Omicron. So that is different.”
A FLASS Alert: Heightened Risk of Long Covid-19
You see, this worries pulmonary care specialists because reinfection can bring serious problems. This can happen even when the patient’s initial infection is not severe.
Andrea Levine, MD, a pulmonary and critical care specialist at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore, spoke to The Baltimore Sun.
“People aren’t getting as sick from the virus now, which is good…” Then she added, significantly, “… but so many people are getting it and getting infected again…”
She concluded with a zinger that might worry all of us. “Each subsequent infection increases the likelihood of ongoing symptoms [long COVID]. If you’re resigned to getting it over and over again, it’s not a good strategy.”
Thus, FLASS is recommending two special strategies:
- We want you to try to avoid getting Omicron BA.5 in the first place, even though you know you won’t die. Avoid sick friends. Wash your hands. Mask if you should.
- If you have endured BA.5, re-double your efforts to avoid getting it again so you do not suffer long Covid problems.
Re-Infection Risks and Long Covid Symptoms
After BA.5, Avoid Risks of Reinfection, Like Crowds.
Long Covid conditions can include shortness of breath and other breathing difficulties, as well as a persistent cough. “Headaches, tingling or numbness in the arms and legs, ringing in the ears, changes in their vision.”
These symptoms can obviously affect your quality of life. Additionally, you may experience Overwhelming fatigue and cognitive problems. These are also part of the phenomenon known as long Covid.
You don’t want these long covid symptoms to overtake your life. You know what to do. FLASS reminds you to eat right, sleep right, exercise, and avoid crowds where you can catch Omicron BA.5. For more detailed information on COVID 19 vaccinations, check out previous blogs from FLASS.
Finally, you know where the vaccinations are. Update your shots and wear that N-95 mask. It’s worth it.