Coronavirus: ‘virus is not done with us yet’ warns expert as new Covid-19 variants are better at evading antibodies
- With the new variants circulating, doctors still recommend people wear masks indoors and ensure they are up to date on booster shots
- Early data show that the BA.5 strain had reinfected people who contracted earlier variants of Covid-19
“The virus is not done with us yet,” one infectious disease expert is warning. The new variants of coronavirus are better than ever at evading our immune protection. That means even those who were previously infected can be at risk.
Two new variants of the virus appear to more easily evade immune protection from prior infections, meaning even some who have recovered from a case of Covid-19 in recent months may become a clean slate for the virus. The vaccines still remain effective in largely preventing hospitalisation and death, doctors say.
The variants in the Omicron family, BA.5 and BA.4, together are now the dominant strains in Illinois and across the country, according to medical experts and data from the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
“For right now, everybody is basically susceptible to this,” said Dr. Emily Landon, an epidemiologist at the University of Chicago School of Medicine.
With the new variants circulating, doctors still recommend people wear masks indoors and ensure they are up to date on booster shots. The Covid-19 booster remains an underutilised resource, with only about 34 per cent of people 5 and over having received the third shot, according to the CDC.
People should also consider masking during crowded outdoor events as well, doctors said, such as the upcoming Lollapalooza music festival from July 28 to 31.