DEAR MAYO CLINIC: Cases of COVID-19 are once again surging in parts of the U.S., and I'm hearing about different strains, such as the BA.5 and BA2.75 omicron subvariants. What do I need to do to keep my family safe, especially as I prepare to send my kids back to school? My children and I have received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine and a booster vaccination.
ANSWER: Infections in the U.S. continue to rise, as COVID-19 continues to evolve and change. Omicron is a variant of COVID-19. A variant is a mutation that occurs in the virus over time.
Omicron BA.5 is causing an estimated 82% of COVID-19 cases in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). BA.5 has properties associated with increased transmission of the virus, which is why it's become so prevalent in the U.S. and globally. It also has some properties of what we call "immune evasion" that allows the virus to sidestep some of the prior immunity from vaccination, a prior infection or both. What that means is if you have been previously infected or vaccinated, you may have reduced protection against being infected with BA.5 and developing mild to moderate illness.
