This is the weekly edition CNN’s coronavirus newsletter. Keep an eye out for your Wednesday roundup. Register here if you haven’t yet signed up. (CNN) Nearly two-and-a half years have passed since the coronavirus pandemic started. The most deadly and transmissible variant of the virus has now arrived. The virus is now spreading again, evolving, evading immunity, and driving an increase in hospitalizations and cases. The latest version of the virus’ shape-shifting, BA.5, shows that the pandemic is not over. It is evolving, escaping immunity, and driving an upsurge in cases and hospitalizations. BA.5 is rapidly spreading in China, increasing anxiety that major cities may soon re-impose strict lockdown measures that were recently lifted. The same variant has also become the dominant strain in the United States. It was responsible for 65% of all new infections last week according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “We have been following this virus’ rapid evolution. We have been planning and preparing for this moment. In a Tuesday news briefing, Dr. Ashish Jha (White House’s Covid-19 Response Coordinator), stated that the message that he wants to convey to Americans is: “BA.5 is something we are closely monitoring, and most importantly we know how we manage it.” Read MoreThe WHO’s Emergency Committee declared that Covid-19 remained an International Public Health Emergency of International Concern on the same day. This alert was first issued on January 20, 2020. It is a result of rising cases, ongoing virus mutation, and increasing pressure on already stretched health systems. The committee, made up of independent experts and scientists, spoke out about the challenges facing the ongoing global Covid-19 response. This included a drop in testing and poor genome sequencing. This raises the question of how accurate any country might be able monitor BA. Epidemiologists claim that the US’s official data is far too low to reflect the true number of infections. This leaves the nation with a critical blind area as the most transmissible variant of coronavirus yet takes root. Experts believe there could be up to 1 million new infections per day in the wider US population, 10 times more than the official count. Jha advised Americans 50 years and older to get a second booster shot to manage the new wave. Adults who have been vaccinated are less likely than those who have not. Data from the CDC shows that only one in four Americans over 50 have received their second boosters. This is despite fears that the immunity of younger adults may be waning with rising numbers of Covid-19 cases. What makes BA.5 unique? Eric Topol, a Scripps Research cardiologist and professor in molecular medicine, called BA.5 “the most severe virus we’ve ever seen.” In a newsletter, he explained that BA.5 requires immune escape, already extensive, to reach the next level and, as such, enhanced transmissibility. This is well beyond previous versions of Omicron. BA.5 can also easily evade immunity from vaccines and previous infections, increasing the risk for reinfection. Although the variant doesn’t seem to cause more severe illness, Topol stated that he expects to see an increase in hospitalizations due to BA.5’s immune evasion. This is similar to what we’ve seen elsewhere in Europe and elsewhere where the variant has taken root. “It doesn’t seem to be accompanied with the ICU admissions or the deaths as other variants, but that is certainly concerning,” he said. Public health experts in the US may find some comfort in the European variant’s trajectory. Ryan, WHO’s director of surveillance, said last week that although many European countries are seeing an increase in hospitalizations, there is not an increase in ICU admissions. This means that vaccines are still working and that it is the gaps in immunity that are the problem. However, epidemiologists are still struggling to track the virus’ evolution due to steep cuts in Covid-19 surveillance. In a press conference on Tuesday, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, stated that sub-variants of Omicron (like BA.4 or BA.5) continue to drive waves in cases, hospitalizations, and death all over the globe. “Surveillance has decreased significantly, including testing and sequencing, making it more difficult to assess the effect of variants on transmission, disease characteristics and the effectiveness of countermeasures. “New waves of the virus show that the Covid-19 [pandemic] continues to be a threat,” he said. Q: What can I do to protect myself from the new Covid-19 wave of infection? A: Many people won’t want to plan their lives around Covid-19 at this stage of the pandemic. This is especially true if they are healthy. However, people with long-term health issues or those who are concerned about long-term symptoms may want to be cautious. CNN Medical Analyst Dr. Leana Shen explains that it is important to plan and consider how to avoid infection given the severity of the Omicron subvariants. Wen stated that while I don’t believe most people should have their daily lives changed, I do think people should be aware of the possibility of contracting Covid-19 if their activities aren’t altered. She suggested that the question to ask is: How much do you want to keep my infection at bay? Wen recommends that individuals who wish to reduce their risk take care to keep up with their boosters. In the US, anyone over 50 can receive a booster and everyone under 50 can receive a second booster. Wearing a N95 mask or an equivalent in indoor and crowded settings is a good idea. It’s also advisable to avoid large gatherings in the summer by staying outside. She said that masks can be uncomfortable for some people. Are you a health worker fighting Covid-19 Last week, Beijing announced a Covid-19 mandate for residents who want to enter public venues. This was the first city in mainland China to implement the mandate as it tries to stop the spread of BA.5, Nectargan writes. Officials from the city said that those who are not suitable for vaccination will be exempted from the requirement. However, they did not specify how they could provide the proof required for exemption. Beijing has reported three cases Omicron subvariant, which is highly contagious. After detecting BA, several Chinese cities have implemented new restrictions. Shanghai, which has just recently come out of a two-month lockdown and identified its first case, will conduct two rounds of Covid testing this week. The northwestern city of Xi’an has been shut down by an outbreak of BA.5. This is a 13 million-strong area. There are no entertainment, sports, or religious venues. Take-out and delivery services have been limited to the area. The Covid outbreak caused Macao’s casinos to close for the first time since February 2020. This sent shares of the operating companies plummeting and a fear of new lockdowns in Shanghai threatening the wider China market. The number of drug-resistant infections has risen in hospital patients in China. The US had made great progress in combating drug-resistant infections in recent decades. These gains were largely erased by the Covid-19 pandemic. Hospital-acquired infections rose 15% and resulting deaths rose 15%, according to Deidre McPhillips’s new data. A special report released Tuesday by the CDC found that more than 29,400 people died from antimicrobial-resistant infections in the first year of the pandemic — nearly 40% of those deaths were among people who got the infection while in the hospital. The CDC released a special report Tuesday that found that nearly 29400 people died from antimicrobial-resistant infections in the first year of the pandemic. Nearly 5 million deaths worldwide were linked to drug-resistant infections in 2019. The increased risk from the Covid-19 pandemic in the US may have been due to the fact that patients with darker skin can get inaccurate oxygen readings. The device can’t be calibrated correctly if the darker skin pigmentation is not properly controlled. This can lead to inaccurate oxygen readings and patients being discharged without authorization. The public is only now becoming more aware of this issue. Jacqueline Howard reports that US health officials have announced plans for an investigation into the accuracy of pulse-oximeter readings. TOP TIPAdvice for anxious momsEdith Bracho Sanchez, director of pediatrics telemedicine at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, did not expect to be anxious. After having her son, that all changed. Every decision I make for William is stressful. In a column she wrote for CNN, she said that she makes long pro and cons lists, talks with my partner, and then sleeps on it. Finally, I pray. She said that she understands how difficult it can be to make decisions, big and small, and she also understood why some parents might struggle to decide whether to vaccinate their children against Covid-19. She says this because it was the right thing to do and her advice for anxious moms. Although most children experience minor symptoms and recover quickly, many children end up in hospitals or emergency rooms. To date, more than 400 children younger than 5 have died from the disease in the US. We don’t know much about the long-term effects. It instructs the body how to make protective antibodies against Covid-19. The body’s own cells quickly destroy it. It is impossible for it to interfere with William’s development. This is something I am constantly thinking about. LISTEN TO OUR PODCASTWe are always waiting, whether it’s for our morning coffee, customer service, or the next Covid-19 booster. How can we make it less painful? CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta talks to Professor Kate Sweeny, a waiting expert, to discuss the science behind waiting, why it is so painful, and what we can to make it less stressful in our daily lives. Listen here.
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