Dr. Howard Smith Oncall

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/dvEKkhoQd4I   Just as CoVid Omicron cases seem to be declining in the US, the latest Omicron subvariants, particularly BA.5, have been sweeping across the world and now rising in the United States.   The Omicron subvariants BA.4 and  BA.5 were first noted in South Africa early in the spring.  In May, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control declared these Omicron mutants variants of concern.   BA.5 has a 12 to 13% growth advantage over even BA.2, and by May was already responsible for 37% of cases in Portugal but few in the US..  Now, BA.5 is responsible for 37% of cases in the US.   Be aware too that a previous case of Omicron is no protection against becoming infected with Omicron BA.5.  CoVid vaccination and boosting after 3 months or more following your last shot offers only minimal protection against infection with BA.5 but does protect against a severe or deadly case of it.   The bottom line: CoVid is far from over so buckle up.  As we head into the summer, we