What we know about the COVID-19 BA.2 subvariant – WBAL TV Baltimore

What we know about the COVID-19 BA.2 subvariant

Updated: 9:55 AM EDT Mar 27, 2022

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THURSDAY. WE'RE BACK TO THE 60S BY FRIDAY. JENNIFER: NEW DEVELOPMENTSN I THE COVID PANDIC.EM OMICRON SUBVARIANTA. B2 HAS BECOME MORE PREVALENT IN THE UNITED STATES. MEANTIME, VACCINE MANUFACTURERS ARE CLOSE TO PRODUCING A SHOT FOR KIDS UNDER THE AGE OF 5. JOINGIN US, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF BIOLOGY AT LOYOLA UNIVERSITY, WE HAVE DR. CHRISTOPHER THOMPSON JOINING US AGAIN. THANKS FOR JOINING US THIS MORNING. >> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. JENNIFER: WHAT IS THE LATEST ON THE BA.2 VARIT?AN >> IT SEEMS TO BE GETTING MORE PREVALENT WORLDWIDE. 'SIT STILL NOT THE PRIMARY ONE CIRCULATGIN IN THE U.S. ROU ORIGINAL OMICRON IS STILL PREVALENT HERE. IT SMSEE TO BE MEOR TRANSMIBL, MORE INFECTIOUS. IT DOESN'T SEEMO T CAUSE MORE SEVERE DISEASE. THIS IS GOING TO BE SIMILAR TO OMICRON, EXCEPT IT MAYE B EASIER TO CATCH THIS ONE. >> IT SEEMS THAT MTOS OF THE PEOPLE BEING HOSPITALIZED ARE THOSE NOT VACCINATED. >> VACCINATION SEEMS TO BE VERY PROTECTIVE DEFENSE SEVERE DISEASE AND AGAINST DEATH. JENNIFER: WE'VE BEEN RUNNING A STORY ALL MORNING LONG ABOUTHE T POSSIBILITY OF A FOURTH BOOSTER FOR PEOPLE 50 AND OLDER. DO WE KNOW IF THIS IS REALLY NECESSARY? >> WE DON'T YET. AGAIN, LIKE YOU JUST IDSA, THE PEOPLE WHORE A GETTING THE SICKEST WITH THIS HAVEN'T BEEN VACC INATED AT ALL. SO A FOURTH BOOSTER SHOT WOULD CERTAINLY IROMPVE HOW WE'RE DOING AND PRENTGVE SIT, IF THE COST WOULD OUTWEIGHHE T BENEFITS. WE NEED TO GET MORE INFO. JENNIFER: WITH TRANSMISSION RATES GOING DOWN, AIRLINES ARE ASKING THE WHITE HOU TSEO REMOVE MASK MANDATES FOR TRAVEL. IS THAT TIME TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN. >> IT'S BEEN HARD TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THE OFF-RAMP IS FOR MASKING. THE GHHI QUALITY MASKS,HE T QN95S HAVE BEEN PROTECTIVE. THE CLOTH MASKS WITH OMICRON AND BA.2RE A LESS PROTECTIVE. AIRLINES HAVE GOOD FILTRATION SYSTEMS. I DON'T KNOW HOW OFTEN THEY CHANGE THEM,UT B THEY HAVE GOOD FILTRATION SYSTEMS. THE MANDATE, IT MAY BE TIME FOR THAT TO GO AWAY. I WOULD STILL WEAR A MASK INN A EN CLOSED OR CROWDED SPACE. JENNIFER: WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE POSSIBLE VACCINE FOR KIDS UNRDE THE AGE OF 5? >> SO THE DATA IS NOT AS GREAT AS IT WAS FOR ADULTS. WE'RE SEEING GREAT PROTECTION AGAINST SEVERE DISEASE AND AGAINST DEATH, BUT THATAS W PRETTY RARE FOR KIDS ANYWAY. WHAT WE ARE SEEGIN IS ABOUT A 30 TO 40 PERCENT PROTECTION AGASTIN GETTING THE INFECTION IN THE FIRST PLACE BY THE DETECTION METHODS WE HAVE. IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL. IT'S NOT AS GOOD AS WHAT THE ADULTS WERE GETTING. JE

What we know about the COVID-19 BA.2 subvariant

Updated: 9:55 AM EDT Mar 27, 2022

As the omicron subvariant BA.2 has become more prevalent in the United States, vaccine manufacturers are close to producing a shot for children under the age of 5. Loyola University Maryland associate professor of biology Christopher Thompson explains what we know about the BA.2 subvariant.

As the omicron subvariant BA.2 has become more prevalent in the United States, vaccine manufacturers are close to producing a shot for children under the age of 5. Loyola University Maryland associate professor of biology Christopher Thompson explains what we know about the BA.2 subvariant.

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What we know about the COVID-19 BA.2 subvariant - WBAL TV Baltimore