The BA.5 substrain of the CoVID-19 virus, a virus resistant to corona vaccination
Introduction
It took only about a month for the BA.5 virus, a substrain of Omicron, to cause a wide variety of humans to become infected with CoVID-19 since scientists first observed it. This new substrain is spreading rapidly and is ready to overtake previous versions of the virus and reinfect millions of people. In the following, we intend to introduce you to the BA.5 substrain of the CoVID-19 virus and answer the most frequent questions related to it. Stay with us until the end.
The BA.5 substrain of the CoVID-19 virus
The BA.5 substrain, which was first identified in South Africa on February 25, 2022, is currently the dominant spreading strain of the CoVID-19 virus, which accounts for 53.6% of the causes of the corona disease as of July 8. forms in the world. Studies conducted on this virus suggest that BA.5 may be the most infectious strain identified to date and can largely resist immunity from infection or vaccination.
Scientific and genomic information of BA.5 strain
Corona viruses are a family of enveloped single-stranded RNA viruses, which are divided into 4 groups: alpha, beta, delta and gamma. In the past, only 6 types of this family had the ability to infect humans, and today, COVID-19 (a member of the beta corona virus family) has been added to this group. BA.4/BA.5 are the dominant strains of Covid-19 today and we believe BA.2.75 may join them.
Corona viruses have four important structural proteins, of which the Spike protein is the main pathogenic protein in these viruses. This protein uses angiogenesis converting enzyme type 2 (ACE2) as a receptor and infects cells with that enzyme. (ACE2 receptor is abundantly found in respiratory cells, cardiac myocytes and vascular endothelial cells.)
The BA.5 substrain, which is known as the most important pathogenic coronavirus today, is the result of mutations in the spike protein coding genes. As a result of this mutation, new spike proteins are produced that have a different antigenic structure, but the same function as the old pathogenic types. Therefore, this sub-strain cannot be recognized by the antibodies of the vaccinated person’s body, but it still infects the ACE2 cells of the body and causes the occurrence of corona disease.
BA.5 is more sensitive to the TMPRSS2 inhibitor Nafamostat, meaning that BA.5 is slightly less infectious than BA.1 and BA.2, but can be more virulent and immunoevasive, similar to the 2021 delta variant.
BA.4 and BA.5 are very similar and differ only with a few mutations in the structural proteins N and M, the non-structural protein NSP4, and the proteins Orf6 and Orf7b. These differences seem to give BA.5 more proliferative power and It surpasses BA.4.
All substrains of omicron, including the BA.5 substrain, cause symptoms similar to other strains of COVID-19. Symptoms such as:
- Runny nose
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Fever
- Headache
- Muscular pain
- Tiredness
The answer is yes. According to the CDC, BA.5 is the predominant substrain of COVID-19. This means that this disease spreads more easily than other strains. The reason for this is that the BA.5 substrain, as mentioned above, escapes immunity from past corona infection and vaccination. That way, even if you’re infected with the delta or BA.1 substrains, BA.5 can still make you sick.
No, it is not like that. The BA.5 substrain is even less likely to cause severe corona disease than other strains. In general, regardless of how contagious BA.5 is, it is recommended that you take precautions to avoid contracting it. Measures including vaccination and using a suitable face mask.
To protect yourself and your family from contracting the new strain, make sure you’re up to date on all vaccines and preventatives. There are many studies that show that getting vaccinated helps protect you from getting a severe form of the disease.
Because the BA.5 strain is so new, scientics don’t have a clear idea of how effective vaccines are at preventing the disease. As mentioned above, getting vaccinated helps protect you from getting severe corona disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released data showing that the risk of dying from the CoVID-19 was four times higher for people over the age of 50 who had not received the vaccine compared to those who had. The topic of vaccine is very important especially for those who are over 50 years old and have immune deficiencies.
In general, most people who test positive for any strain of CoVID-19 will experience symptoms, usually for two weeks or more, according to the CDC.
One of the positive and important aspects of taking samples at home for PCR testing of Covid is that when you go outside for testing, there is always a risk of transmitting the disease.
Yes, you should take the test. Unfortunately, the omicron strain of the CoVID-19 spreads so easily that even fully vaccinated people can get it. If you suspect that you have been in contact with an infected person, you are advised to get tested. You should also self-quarantine, stay away from other people in your household, and wear a mask until your test results are known.
In general, new strains of viruses are created due to mutations. Therefore, the higher the number of infected people and the higher the production of the virus, the higher the probability of mutation and seeing new types and strains of the virus. For this reason, by preventing a large number of people from being infected with the BA.5 substrain, it is possible to help eradicate the corona disease to a great extent.
Now, the main question in this period of time is that if the CoVID-19 virus does not cause me a serious illness, does it really matter if I know that I have the corona virus or not?
Yes, it matters. For three reasons:
- If your symptoms get worse, you need to be aware of the presence of the virus in your body so that you can use specific treatments.
- You should know about the presence of the virus so that you know whether you should be quarantined to prevent other people related to you from getting infected.
- Tell people you’ve been in recent contact with so they can monitor their symptoms and get tested if needed.
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Also, in order to maintain the safety and health of our customers, the health of all Payvand Lab.’s staff is checked on daily base, and our colleagues will use special clothes, masks and disposable gloves during their service.
We recommend that you do not delay testing or checking your health under any circumstances and use our services of Admission, Sampling and seeing Result with ease. Apply for the mentioned services through the following links.
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We wish you good health.