By Cristian Carlos. Special for Peninsula 360 Press [P360P].
The BA.2 variant of the COVID-19 coronavirus transmits 20 to 40 percent faster than BA.1, and this increases the risk for unvaccinated populations, especially children who come to a hospital with BA.2 as opposed to any other variant. What we know is that these people are at greater risk of coming into contact with an infected individual earlier than those who are vaccinated against it.
For this reason, Ethnic Media services organized a briefing on the progress of information on the new BA.2 variant that is already present in the United States, the measures to be taken and the urgency to continue vaccinating and convincing people to get vaccinated.
Dr. Manisha Newaskar, a pediatric pulmonologist at Stanford Children's Health, said people "need to understand that the thing to do is to be distant and wear a mask. In the case of a suspected positive, you should isolate yourself from the COVID-19 coronavirus for two weeks." COVID-19 is a virus that can cause respiratory problems. It has been seen mainly in children who have had to be hospitalized for it, but adults are not immune either.
Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 is the best way to protect yourself against this disease. Although getting vaccinated can always be a hassle, it must be done.
Dr. Daniel Turner-Lloveras, co-founder of the Latino Coalition Against Covid-19, said that "COVID-19 often infects people with weakened or compromised respiratory systems and causes severe cases of pneumonia and other lung diseases if left untreated."
The CDC reports that "there has been no increase in hospitalizations for COVID-19 among adults since the variant was identified; however, there is still concern if their symptoms evolve into something worse without treatment," Fan said.
He noted that "children represent a high risk because they have fewer doses of vaccines than most adults," especially those with previous or chronic conditions in which the respiratory system is already compromised, meaning they may be more susceptible to developing this disease should one trigger an infection. "Right now we are seeing about six times as many children admitted to hospitals compared to what has happened historically," he said.
In the session, it was reported that the COVID-19 disease has spread rapidly in the Latino community due to lack of access and care from the government. The new BA.2 variant is making it difficult for these people because their health facilities are limited, making it difficult for them to stay healthy or get better when infected with this virus and although there are other variants such as Delta and Omicron, it appears that there are more deaths from COVID-19 among Latinos than any other ethnic group.
Dr. Dali Fan, Professor of Health Sciences, UC Davis, said Israel is one of the few countries that has had tremendous success with COVID-19. They have been able to save many lives and reduce hospitalization rates because they are taking an active approach to prevention by providing free vaccines to all their citizens on time, including vulnerable groups such as pregnant mothers in hospitals.
In other places where access to these vaccines may be restricted or delayed, it is important not only for individuals but also for society as a whole that all people who might become ill are vaccinated as soon as new outbreaks become known, so that large epidemics do not occur in populations that are unable or unwilling to care for themselves.
Receiving timely booster vaccines saves COVID-19 disease even with the presence of the BA.2 variant in vulnerable groups, and hospitalization rates have dropped dramatically.
Dr. Ben Neuman, professor of biology and chief virologist at Global Health said that it is "annoying people who say that COVID-19 disease will eventually become endemic." "That's going against the grain because it puts one's own life and social stability at risk," he added, adding that "getting vaccinated is an individual will, but there are people who don't want to be participants in collective security."
He pointed out that "the vaccine can only protect against this new coronavirus temporarily and you will have to keep getting vaccinated to stay protected against it, you better get vaccinated because these are natural selection situations: The problem of COVID-19 disease is serious and we have to take strong measures to prevent it".
He reported that Africa is the source of the BA.2 variant of the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, which causes COVID-19 disease. These variants are already in the United States and can infect and kill people whose immune system is vulnerable or compromised. It is therefore important to continue with the vaccination schedule.
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