BA.5 Spreads 35.1% Faster Than Stealth Omicron... Also Exhibits Existing Immune Evasion Traits
On the morning of the 7th, when the number of new COVID-19 cases reached 18,511, the screening clinic at Songpa-gu Public Health Center in Seoul was crowded with citizens seeking testing. [Image source=Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Yoon Seul-gi] The new Omicron subvariant 'BA.5' (B.A.5), known as the most transmissible among COVID-19 variants, is becoming the dominant strain worldwide. Due to its high transmissibility and ability to evade existing immunity, concerns about a sixth wave of COVID-19 are growing.
According to a recent report by The New York Times (NYT), the U.S. federal government estimates that the BA.5 variant has already become dominant in the United States and, along with another Omicron subvariant BA.4, is driving increases in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.
The BA.5 variant is a sublineage of Omicron and is known to spread 35.1% faster than BA.2 (Stealth Omicron). Additionally, it has characteristics that allow it to evade existing immunity, increasing the likelihood of breakthrough infections and reinfections. Recently, a research team at a Harvard-affiliated hospital revealed that antibodies generated from past vaccinations or COVID-19 infections appear to be evaded by the BA.4 and BA.5 variants.
As a result, COVID-19 is resurging in countries such as Germany, the United Kingdom, and France due to the spread of the BA.5 variant. In the United States, more than 50% of new confirmed cases are infected with this variant, raising the risk of a large-scale outbreak.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has warned that although there is no evidence that the BA.4 and BA.5 variants cause more severe illness than previous Omicron variants, the high transmissibility could lead to an increase in hospitalizations as infections rise.
In Portugal, where the COVID-19 vaccination rate is higher than in the U.S., the BA.5 variant became dominant in May, leading to a sharp increase in confirmed cases. Hospitalizations approached levels seen during the previous Omicron peak. In Europe, which had experienced a decline in cases after the Omicron wave, infections are rising again as BA.5 becomes dominant.
In South Korea, the BA.5 variant is also expected to become dominant. According to health authorities, as of last week, 24.1% of domestic infections were due to the BA.5 variant. The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters (CDSCH) stated on the 8th, "BA.5 has a higher immune evasion capability against vaccines and prior infections compared to previous Omicron variants," adding, "Even those who have been vaccinated or previously infected have a higher possibility of reinfection."
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