The new subtype of Omicron, BA.2.12.1, is prevalent in the United States and it was the second most common form of coronavirus last week. According to a report published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday.
BA.2.12.1 reached 19 percent of cases in the United States in the week ending April 16, increasing its prevalence by nearly 67 percent from the previous week. The CDC says Omicron options typically cause less serious pain, although they spread faster than earlier variants like delta.
Mutations in COVID variants allow the virus, in some cases, to evade the protections offered by vaccines, said Andy Pecos, a professor at the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins. He told CNN.
“What we don’t know now is whether these mutations will help increase the spread or severity of the disease,” Pekos said.
The BA.2 option still accounts for the majority of infections in the United States, accounting for 74 percent of all cases from April 10 to April 16, the CDC said. This percentage is slightly down from the previous week when BA.2 was 75.5% of the total.
In the growing context of new options, the Biden administration is seeking to provide new guidance on masks after a federal judge in Florida revoked the federal mandate for masks for air travel and other forms of public transportation. .
White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the judge’s decision was a “frustrating decision”.
At the same time, President Joe Biden and his administration have indicated that people will need to make their own decisions as the COVID pandemic begins. Biden told reporters Tuesday that it would be up to the Americans to decide whether to take over the planes.
Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said last week that COVID will not go away and people need to weigh individual risks as cases increase.
Dr. Ashish Jaham, the White House COVID-19 response coordinator, said he will continue to provide guidance and masks to CDCs on the planes.
He was released 24 hours ago by a federal judge @CDCgov Mandate masks on planes
It was a great disappointment
It took CDC scientists 15 days to make a firm decision based on more data
We have to give them
But I will continue to follow CDC guidelines and the masks on planes
– Ashish K. Jha, MD, MPH (@ AshishKJha46) April 19, 2022
Meanwhile, the Justice Department is considering appealing the court’s decision if the CDC determines that the mask mandate should be extended beyond the estimated May 3 expiration date.
Source: Huffpost
