Let us be guarded against BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron sub-variant virus
COVID-19 Omicron variant
By: Dennis Wendo
Worth Noting:
- According to the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention the BA.4 and BA.5 sub variants are about three times less sensitive to neutralizing antibodies from existing Covid vaccines than the original version of the omicron variant, BA.1. Other research suggests that BA.4 and BA.5 are four times more resistant to antibodies from vaccines than BA.2
- Though the Ministry of Health has reaffirmed its commitment to the zero-Covid strategy, the spates pose a fresh challenge to the government and citizens, now battling with high cost of living and election delirium. The treatment of a covid-19 patient is very costly and almost unaffordable to a majority of Kenyans.
A gleam has been pointed out by the government over the resurgence of rising cases of COVID-19 with a caution to the general public; the shift is getting dire during this cold season.
Individual responsibility remains significant in containing the new wave. The infection positivity rate is on an up-scale drift and stands at over 4.0%.
A widespread swell in flu cases across the country has been cited, with Nairobi county registering increased numbers of the infections.
For the past one month, tens of millions of people have been placed under temporal lockdown control across China with businesses forced to close as new re-infections take toll. The rebound of the outbreak is linked to the BA.4 and BA.5.2 sub lineage of the Omicron variant, which is more transmissible, contagious, getting better at reinfecting people and evading vaccine protection.
Concern, the Omicron BA.2 variant is highly transmissible, compared to the Delta variant which is 60% more transmissible than the Alpha variant; first identified in the U.K. Alpha variant is about 50 percent more transmissible than the ancestral Wuhan strain. Omicron BA.2, BA.4 and BA.5 present more dangers than the Delta variant. The most common symptoms of BA.4 and BA.5; runny nose, sore throat, headache, persistent cough and fatigue.
According to the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention the BA.4 and BA.5 sub variants are about three times less sensitive to neutralizing antibodies from existing Covid vaccines than the original version of the omicron variant, BA.1. Other research suggests that BA.4 and BA.5 are four times more resistant to antibodies from vaccines than BA.2
Though the Ministry of Health has reaffirmed its commitment to the zero-Covid strategy, the spates pose a fresh challenge to the government and citizens, now battling with high cost of living and election delirium. The treatment of a covid-19 patient is very costly and almost unaffordable to a majority of Kenyans.
Several countries have taken stringent measures to curb the spread of the deadly virus by enforcing inter and extra travel bans, partial and full lock-downs, full adherence to containment measures as well as mandatory vaccination enforcement.
In Japan at least 114 million people were under full or partial lockdowns in the month of June, a sharp jump from the previous 66.7 million in May. According to WHO report, by the end of June, new weekly cases were up by 32% in Southeast Asia, 33% in Europe and 47% in the region comprising the Middle East, Central Asia, North Africa and the Horn of Africa. As of June 19, BA.5 accounted for 43% of omicron cases worldwide, while BA.4 accounted for 12%.
South Africa had a surge in cases driven by BA.4 and BA.5 this spring, with Covid hospitalizations rising in the U.K. A Food and Drug Administration advisory committee in the US is recommending modifying coming booster shots from Pfizer and Moderna to target BA.4 and BA.5 directly. Pfizer has indicated it could have an updated vaccine targeting BA.4 and BA.5 ready to be distributed by October 2022.
The BA.5.2 sub variant is moving in a direction of escaping vaccines and it remains imperative for people without duress to get fully vaccinated and thereafter go for the booster doses.
Let us remain keen-sighted to steer clear of skating back into the insufferable situations and crisis both at household and national levels caused by the pandemic from the onset. Let it be a self- driven call in observing the set containment and safety measures put in place by the government of the day.
Dennis Wendo
Founder- Integrated Development Network
Email: dambehi@gmail.com
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