How is BA.5 different from other variants of the coronavirus? Three important things [EXPLAINED]

The Omicron BA.5 sub-variant is the most portable and immune-escaping SARS-CoV-2 mutation so far. Scientists know perfectly well that the coronavirus is constantly changing and adapting to the changing situation. The most important question is how exactly BA.5 differs from previous mutations. Doctors and scientists point out three important points.

1. Analyzes of COVID-19 patients show that the symptoms of the disease are slightly different than before. Smell disorders appear much less frequently, the most common symptom being a sore throat
2. The BA.5 mutation induces more reinfection in people who have already had COVID-19. It is estimated that people who were ill before the appearance of Omikron retained protection at the level of 15%.
3. Vaccinations against COVID-19 (especially booster doses) protect against severe disease and death
4. While the number of infections is increasing, the rate at which hospitalizations are increasing is slower. However, preliminary research suggests that BA.5 may pose a greater risk. Where do these fears come from?
5. More information can be found on the Onet homepage

BA.5 – the most infectious of all the coronavirus mutations

One thing we can be sure of about the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus is that it is constantly changing. “This is normal and we have known it since the beginning of the pandemic,” emphasized Dr. Aneta Afelt, a health geographer and member of the COVID-19 advisory team to the president of the Polish Academy of Sciences, in a recent interview with Medonet.

Currently, the world is struggling with the next “version of the pathogen”, the most portable and best avoiding immune response of all the coronavirus mutations to date. This is BA.5, another Omicron «family member». Thanks to him, we have the sixth wave of the pandemic that has been going on for the third year. However, this is a different wave than the previous one. What specific changes has BA.5 “developed” and how has this affected the current situation? Researchers point to three important points.

With BA.5, the main symptoms of COVID-19 have changed

Clinicians say many of the symptoms of BA.5 are similar to those seen in previous variants. However, the observations so far show that the frequency of their occurrence is changing.

We all remember that at the beginning of the pandemic, a typical symptom of COVID-19 was a disturbance or loss of sense of smell / taste. Currently, it is one of the less frequently reported ailments in coronavirus infection. Patients develop a sore throat more and more often (58% of the bottoms of 17,5 thousand participants in the British study from Imperial College London experienced it). The second most frequent symptom of the disease was headache (49%). The next places were: nasal obstruction (40%), dry cough (40%), and wet cough (37%).

In a word, in the current wave of infections, patients are more likely to report cold-like and flu-like symptoms. It is difficult to say how far this is due to the changes in the virus itself. Scientists suspect that the frequency of current symptoms may be related to the level of immunity already developed by humans.

BA.5 is an increase in coronavirus recurrences

Clearly, the BA.5 mutation induces more reinfection in people who have already had COVID-19, also caused by previous Omicron sub-variants. According to scientists, BA.5 is the mutation most different from the original version of the coronavirus.

Data from Qatar suggests people who contracted COVID-19 before the appearance of Omicron kept 15 percent. protection against symptomatic reinfection BA.5. (or BA.4). People with disease caused by any of the Omicron mutations retain immunity at 76 percent.

While BA.5 “largely” avoids antibodies from previous infections and vaccines, experts recall that being up to date with a booster dose (or dual boost if possible) still protects against severe disease and death. Research to date shows that BA.5 does not overcome these safeguards.

More infections, less severe COVID-19 cases and a question mark

While the number of BA.5 infections is increasing, US observations show that «a relatively small percent of Hospital beds in intensive care units across the country are occupied by COVID-19 patients ». “Even among more vulnerable groups such as nursing home residents, the daily COVID-19 death toll remains a fraction of some previous waves,” notes CBS News. Healthcare services explain this with the protection that vaccines (especially boosters) provide, as well as the wider use of COVID-19 drugs.

On the other hand, preliminary studies from Denmark and Portugal suggest that the BA.5 mutation may pose a higher risk of hospitalization compared to the Omicron BA.2 sub-variant. Preliminary laboratory tests also suggest that BA.5 may pose a greater risk due to its ability to infect lung tissue.

Rochelle Walensky of the US agency CDC emphasizes that we do not really have certain information yet about the clinical severity of BA.5 compared to previous Omicron sub-variants. As the pandemic is protracted, he notes, with most of the population having some immunity (thanks to vaccination and previous infections), it may therefore be more difficult to compare the severity of the variant and the sub-variant in the real world.

We encourage you to listen to the latest episode of the RESET podcast. This time Joanna Kozłowska, author of the book High Sensitivity. A Guide for Those Who Feel Too Much »says that high sensitivity is not a disease or dysfunction – it’s just a set of characteristics that affect the way you perceive and perceive the world. What are the genetics of WWO? What are the perks of being highly sensitive? How to act with your high sensitivity? You will find out by listening to the latest episode of our podcast.