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DETROIT, January 31, 2022 ~ According to the World Health Organization, the COVID-19 omicron subvariant BA.5 is now the dominant strain of COVID-19, and is estimated to be comprising of more than 60 percent of cases.
Mayo Clinic has referred to the strain as “hypercontagious,” and say BA.5 is more resistant to MRNA vaccines, including Pfizer and Moderna.
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July 18, 2022 ~ 760 WJR Senior News Analyst Chris Renwick talks with Jim Harper and Marie Osborne about why the COVID-19 BA.5 omicron subvariant is a big deal.
(CONTINUED) “Let me make a clear, clear point here that’s a little tough to hear: Whether you’ve been vaccinated, whether you’ve been previously infected, whether you’ve been previously infected and vaccinated, you have very little protection against BA.5 in terms of getting infected or having mild to moderate infection,” said Mayo Clinic Head of Vaccine Research Group Dr. Gregory Poland in a statement.
Dr. Poland went on to say unvaccinated people are about five times more likely to contract the virus than those who are vaccinated and boosted, while chances of hospitalization are about 7 times higher, and chances of death are 14 to 15 times higher.
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