The latest super mutant BA.5 invades Shanghai, will the epidemic rebound sharply? See what the experts say

The high temperature and sweltering heat still can't stop Omicron, and the latest super mutant has invaded many places in China!

I still remember when I heard the news that the Shanghai COVID-19 Pneumonia Epidemic Prevention and Control Headquarters announced that from June 1, Shanghai will fully resume normal production and life order, everyone cheered for it. This means that Shanghai, which has pressed the pause button for 3 months, is finally going to restart. However, just over a month later, the epidemic hit Shanghai again. Not only that, but this time the COVID-19 virus also brought an upgraded version of the army, the Omicron BA.5.2.1 variant. It is reported that this strain is the most transmissible variant found so far, with an R0 value of 18.6.

Moreover, not only in Shanghai, but also in many places across the country, including Zhuhai in Guangdong, Qingdao in Shandong, Tianjin, Dalian in Liaoning, Beijing and Xi'an in Shaanxi, have recently discovered the evolutionary branch of the virus strain. To this end, many people are very worried about whether the country will rebound sharply again, let's see what experts have to say.

What are the characteristics of the COVID-19 virus variant BA.5?

As the saying goes: "Know yourself, know your enemy, and be victorious in every battle", let's first take a look at the characteristics of the COVID-19 virus variant BA.5. This BA.5 variant, which is known as the strongest transmission ability in history, is said to have a very strong immune escape ability. At present, more than 90% of the people in the country have completed the 2 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, and some people have even received the third dose.

In our impression, after the completion of the COVID-19 vaccination, not to say that it can prevent infection 100%, at least to a certain extent, the preventive effect can be achieved. However, it is reported that the protective cover produced by the COVID-19 vaccine is extremely fragile in the face of the BA.5 variant strain and can easily be penetrated. Even if you have been infected with COVID-19 before and produce certain antibodies in your body, it cannot be produced in the face of the BA.5 variant strain. Immunity shows how difficult this BA.5 variant is to deal with.

Will the epidemic rebound sharply?

According to the news released by the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission, a case of Omicron BA.5.2.1 infection reported in Shanghai on July 8 was an infected person associated with overseas entry. As of July 13, 435 people in Shanghai had been infected. In just a few days, hundreds of people have been infected, and the main source is KTV. According to reports, 80% of the positive infections reported in Shanghai from July 3 to July 6 were related to the epidemic on Lanxi Road, Putuo District. History of KTV activities.

But even so, the author believes that the possibility of a sharp rebound in the epidemic is still unlikely. Because Shanghai has urgently launched accurate tracking, most of the people in the transmission chain have been isolated. Although there are still a small number of socially infected people, because the current number is still at a low level, it is still possible on the whole. Controlled, this is the same nationwide, and there has been no significant increase in cases so far.

Do we need emergency 3rd and 4th doses of COVID-19 vaccine?

With the emergence of new mutant strains, we do not rule out the possibility of needing a third or even a fourth vaccine in the future. From another point of view, we have discovered a new mutant strain, and we believe that a new vaccine against this strain will be available in the near future, and over time, the protective efficacy of our previous vaccine will gradually increase decline, so it is still very necessary to continue to be vaccinated.

But at present, the first thing we need to do is to do personal protection. KTV is a closed place. If there is an infected person, it is very easy to cause cross-infection, and the consequences will be disastrous. Therefore, it is better to gather as little as possible and stay less in densely populated and relatively closed places.