Nurse Asia Hartford vaccinates Luis Fernandez, 28, at Ted Watkins Memorial Park in Los Angeles on May 5. (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times)
The growing dominance of two superinfectious sub-variants of Omicron threatens to worsen California’s coronavirus wave, but experts and officials say there are reasonable steps residents can take to protect themselves.
Taking preventive measures is especially important now, as the two strains in question – BA.4 and especially BA.5 – have shown the ability to re-infect even those who have recently contracted an earlier sub-variant of Omicron.
“This is one of the biggest consequences of BA.5: a previous infection, including last month’s Omicron infection, no longer provides robust protection against re-infection,” Dr. Robert Wachter, chair of the UC San Francisco Department of Medicine , wrote on Twitter over the weekend.
BA.5 accounted for about 53.6 percent of new cases nationwide in the weekly period that ended Saturday, according to the latest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A month ago, the subvariant was thought to be responsible for just under 10% of new cases.
“BA.5 is a different beast with a new superpower: Sufficient change in the spike protein that immunity from previous vax infection or previous Omicron infection (including recent infection) doesn’t offer much protection,” according to Wachter.
Here are some steps that experts and officials say you can take to prevent these latest versions of the coronavirus:
Basics of vaccination
Experts urge people to be up-to-date on their vaccinations, and that includes getting a first booster shot or a second booster if eligible. Vaccinations and booster shots are key factors in keeping hospitalizations relatively modest for now.
According to the most recent data available from the California Department of Public Health, unvaccinated individuals were more than five times more likely to contract COVID-19 than their vaccinated and boosted counterparts. They were also 7.5 times more likely to be hospitalized and 14.5 times more likely to die from the disease.
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The CDC currently recommends a second booster for anyone age 50 and older, as well as immunocompromised people age 12 and older, at least four months after the first booster.
Children under the age of 5 can now be vaccinated.
Although the value of vaccinations and boosters “in preventing a case of COVID or preventing transmission is now far less than it used to be,” vaccines remain “extremely valuable in preventing a severe case that may lead to hospital/death” , Wachter wrote on Twitter.
Reformulated boosters, modified to add protection against the latest Omicron mutations, are also expected to be released this fall.
But questions remain about how affordable that formulation will be, given that Congress has yet to approve billions of dollars needed for pandemic control efforts, including money to pre-order vaccinations.
That rollout is also likely to be delayed until November to include a vaccine formula designed against the newer Omicron sub-variants, rather than the oldest version, which scientists fear will be relatively obsolete by then.
Some eligible residents may be wondering whether to delay receiving their second booster until updated photos are available. For those over age 50, “I would say no—there’s too much COVID around and the evidence for the benefit of a #2 boost is compelling,” according to Wachter.
“If the new booster is very effective (not guaranteed), I doubt getting a second booster now will prevent you from getting [a] divalent thrust in the fall,” he wrote.
Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease expert at the University of California, San Francisco, also said his “advice is to go ahead and get” a booster now instead of waiting.
Masks
Although masks are no longer required in most indoor public places in the state, many experts say they continue to offer a useful layer of protection.
California officials have consistently urged residents to use face coverings in public spaces, including stores, restaurants, theaters and family entertainment centers. Los Angeles County has gone a step further and still requires face coverings on public transportation, including rideshare vehicles, and at indoor transportation centers.
“As families gather for summer barbecues, vacations and camps, the best way to avoid disruption to summer plans is to make sure everyone is up to date on vaccines, wear a mask when indoors around others, wash wash their hands frequently and stay home and away from others when they are sick,” Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said this week.
Gatherings
Outdoor gatherings are preferable to indoor gatherings. If you must gather inside, make the environment as well ventilated as possible by opening doors and windows. Wearing masks also offers an extra layer of protection, officials say.
Health experts also recommend the use of rapid tests to check infection status as close as possible to the start of the gathering – especially if older people or people with underlying health problems are present, or if those attending have frequent contact with vulnerable people.
“To do safe indoor gatherings, it’s really about good masking (and no indoor eating) and ventilation. Adding rapid testing before the event offers additional protection,” Wachter wrote.
This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.
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