Los Angeles: The latest Omicron subvariant, BA.5, has now become the dominant coronavirus strain in the US and is said to be four times more resistant to Covid-19 vaccines, according to a new study published in Nature. Xinhua News Agency reported that the study found that the variant was four times more resistant to messenger RNA vaccines than Omicron’s previous strains, including the Pfizer and Moderna Covid-19 vaccines.Also Read – Covid deaths rise again globally, brace for more waves: WHO chief scientist
The Mayo Clinic said in a report Thursday that the strain is “hyperinfectious” and is contributing to increased hospitalizations and ICU admissions.
The US The BA.5 strain represented 65 percent of the country’s Covid-19 cases in the week ending July 9, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Unvaccinated people are about five times more likely to contract the virus than those who are vaccinated and boosted, while being 7.5 times more likely to be hospitalized and 14 to 15 times more likely to die, said Gregory Poland, head of the Mayo Clinic. Vaccine Research Group.
