The Ministry of Health reported that a new strain of "Omicron" - VA.5 - has appeared in Ukraine. It is believed to be more dangerous than the "main" strain. For the first time in our country, it was recorded in the Chernivtsi region, and the number of detected cases is 7.
According to the agency, the BA.5 subtype of the Omicron strain was first detected at the end of February 2022 in South Africa. Later, experts from the European Center for Disease Control and Prevention called the BA.5 subtype "of concern." As of Wednesday, July, this subtype is found in the majority of coronavirus patients in the United States and Great Britain.
On average, this subtype is spreading in European countries 50% faster compared to the BA.2 subtype, which spread this winter, right after the original Omicron strain. If we compare the BA.5 subtype with the "main" strain "Omicron" and BA.2, we can say that this variety is closer to the latter - it has only four additional mutations. In effect, this means that the virus can evade the immune response more. According to the WHO, the number of serious cases and deaths began to increase against the background of the spread of the BA.5 subtype in Europe
The Ministry of Health also notes that the administration of a booster dose significantly increases the level of neutralizing antibodies even against this subtype of the virus.
We will remind you that recently it became known who in Ukraine is recommended to administer a second booster dose against COVID-19.
За матеріалами: пресслужба МОЗ України
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