Dr. Fauci Reports on COVID BA.5 Variant Affecting NY – NBC New York (47)

What you should know

• The Omicron subvariant BA.5 now accounts for the majority of COVID cases in New York City, and all five boroughs are experiencing skyrocketing transmission rates. The risk of reinfection is also increased and may be related to the strain. People who have had COVID before and have been vaccinated may not even experience symptoms.
• No new mandates have been implemented, but since the CDC considers all five New York City boroughs to be at high risk for community spread of COVID, local health and elected officials say wearing masks indoors is recommended. for all.
• Staten Island is experiencing the highest rate of new cases in this latest wave, followed by Manhattan, Queens, the Bronx and Brooklyn, according to the latest data from the health department.

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NEW YORK – Transmission of COVID-19 is up 33% in New York City in the past week and notably rising in each of the five boroughs, new health department data released Thursday shows, amid a sixth pandemic wave fueled by what some have called the “worst version”. of Omicron yet.

The subvariant in question, BA.5 from South Africa that has proven to be resistant to the vaccine, established national dominance earlier this month, according to the CDC, and now appears to be invading New York City at an accelerating rate.

The strain accounts for 57% of all genetically sequenced positive COVID samples for the week of data ending July 2, a statistic that emerged only from the city’s health department’s weekly update on Thursday. This is likely a significant undercount, considering only 12% of positive cases in the city underwent the process to isolate variants in the last week, and the city’s case count doesn’t even include the likely number. of confirmations at home that are never obtained. officially registered.

In addition, there is the surge of people not experiencing significant enough symptoms, including those in Omicron’s BA.5, to know they should be tested for COVID if they have had no known exposures.

And while those who notice the widening line at the top of the New York City variant data page may wonder what “other” Omicron is available below, many find themselves reeling again, and frustrated. so it has become a hamster wheel-like environment that relentlessly breeds threat after threat. These days, it’s just a matter of which district will see it worse.

As for this latest wave, Staten Island is by far experiencing the fastest rates of viral spread. The seven-day case rate per 100,000 of 444.19 that New York City officials included in Thursday’s data update is 45% higher than last week. The story is similar, though to a lesser degree, for the other New York City boroughs.

The Bronx, Queens and Brooklyn have seen COVID transmission growth of at least 34% over the past week, city data shows, while Manhattan’s transmission is up about 23% in the same. weather. While transmission growth was slower for the latter borough, Manhattan already had the second-highest rate of new cases (412.97), ahead of Queens (410.63), the Bronx (361.79), and Brooklyn (344.39).

Free at-home testing kits are now widely available, though the city’s latest giveaway didn’t start off so well, and New Yorkers are encouraged to take advantage. The reasons, experts say, are clear.

All five counties returned to the CDC’s high-risk category for community spread of COVID last Friday and this week’s data suggests they won’t transition back to mid-federal status any time soon. New York City health officials previously used a COVID alert system modeled after the CDC, but say they’re reevaluating it because this current viral wave isn’t seeing sky-high case rates along with significant increases in severe illness and hospitalizations as other waves saw.

No new masks or other COVID mandates have been implemented either, though Mayor Eric Adams and his health leadership are recommending that people cover up indoors in public places, regardless of vaccination status for now.

The nation’s top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, agrees. Here’s more of what he has to say about BA.5.

Vaccination remains a priority.

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