Two relatively new variants of the omicron strain of the coronavirus, the BA.4 and the BA.5are gaining ground in recent weeks in the United States, at a time when the country has practically returned to normality, but which coincides with a rebound in the pandemic.
According to data from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC, for its acronym in English), the BA.4 and the BA.5 -responsible for the rise in infections in South Africa during the months of April and May-, already suppose 13% of detected cases and EEUU.
Just a week ago, these variants were responsible for only one 6% of cases; and a month ago, they barely had a presence in the United States, which indicates that their expansion is taking place at a very high rate.
The White House coordinator for the response to covid-19, Ashish Jha, He said in an interview with the NBC channel that his projections are that by late summer or early fall, BA.4 and BA.5 will be the most common variants of coronavirus in the country.
Related news
These variants, which were first detected in South Africa in early 2022, are more infectious than other omicron strains and have a greater ability to circumvent the immune defense systemalthough for the moment they have not been shown to cause a more severe disease than the other types of omicron.
The United States is going through a moment of confusion around the pandemic, in which the country has resumed normal practice in terms of economic activity and even preventive measures such as the use of masks, but nevertheless infection cases are on the riseand many experts warn that the figures do not reflect the true magnitude of cases.