New Omicron subvariants found in China cause roughly same symptoms as other subvariants: CDC expert

Residents receive nucleic acid tests on July 14 in Lanzhou, northwest China’s Gansu province. Photo: CGV

New subvariants of Omicron, such as BA.4 and BA.5, recently discovered in China, cause nearly the same symptoms as other subvariants, said a virologist from the Chinese Center for Control and Prevention Diseases (CDC), noting that China’s current antivirus measures are effective in fending off these subvariants.

Compared to previous subvariants, BA.4 and BA.5 are more transmissible, said Dong Xiaoping, the CDC’s chief virology expert, noting that these new variants did not cause more severe symptoms or lighter.

The new variants have been discovered in mainland China in recent months. Since July 6, the first local case with the BA.5 variant in Xi’an city, Shaanxi province, China, reported 10 Omicron subvariants in the past two weeks.

Dong said the ability of these new variants to evade the immune system is improved, but current vaccines are still eligible to prevent deaths and serious situations.

Dong also noted that China’s current anti-virus measures are effective in repelling these new variants, and the latest COVID-19 management manual has focused on detecting the general public, which helps to quickly discover carriers of the virus. virus and prevent the infection from spreading.

world times