HOUSTON (PRWEB)
August 02, 2022

As Covid-19 BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants surge throughout the state, Texans have questions about the new variants, their transmissibility, and virulence.

Dr. Christopher Langan, a board-certified emergency room (ER) physician and the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of SignatureCare Emergency Center in Houston, TX, has provided answers to some of the most important questions about the new variants.

Dr. Langan answered several questions about the Covid-19 BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants including what they are, how transmissible and virulent they are, how they are transmitted, and what parents can do to protect their families from contracting the new subvariants.

He said the new subvariants are more contagious but do not appear to cause more severe illnesses.

“The BA.4 and BA.5 are the newest subvariants of the Omicron virus. The spike protein, which is the outer protein on the virus that helps it enter the cell, has changed so it has become more effective at attaching to and entering the human upper respiratory tract. This makes it more contagious, but the virus has not been causing more severe diseases,” he said.

Dr. Langan said the symptoms of BA.4 and BA.5 are similar to earlier Omicron variants and include fever, cough, body aches, sore throat, runny nose, and headaches.

He said the new subvariants are highly transmissible because the outer protein that coats the virus called the spike protein has changed so it is better at sticking to the cells of the nose and throat.

“BA.4 and BA.5 are more transmissible because the outer protein that coats the virus, called the spike protein, has changed so it is even better at sticking to the cells in your nose and throat, making it more contagious.

“More people are getting sick with the virus, but on average the course of illness is much less severe than the initial COVID-19 strains. The virus spends more time in your nose and throat and upper respiratory tract replicating, but is not very good at replicating in the deep lung like the original form of COVID-19.”

Dr. Langan said herd immunity and prior vaccines are not effective against BA.4 and BA.5 because they are different from the earlier variants of Covid-19.

“Unfortunately, the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants are different enough that the immune system, whether you are vaccinated or had prior COVID, may not work as well against these variants. However, people who have been vaccinated against COVID or have had prior disease will have a better immune response than those who have not had COVID or the vaccination.

“Because the virus is changing, currently herd immunity is not a likely way for us to eradicate COVID in the near future,” he added.

Dr. Langan advised parents to discuss vaccinating their children against Covid-19 with their kids’ pediatrician and make the most informed decisions for their families.

“If parents are reluctant to get children vaccinated, they should discuss the pros and cons with their pediatrician and make the best-informed choice for their family,” he said.

He urged Texans over 50 years old or those with compromised immune systems to get vaccinated and boosted, if they haven’t done so, adding that will decrease their chances of getting severe illness should they become infected with the virus.

Complete answers to your Covid-19 BA.4 and BA.5 questions are available here.

More information about SignatureCare Emergency Center is available at https://ercare24.com.

About SignatureCare Emergency Center

Houston, TX-based SignatureCare Emergency Center owns 24-hour emergency centers throughout Texas including nine ER locations in the Houston area (Montrose, Houston Heights, Cypress/FM 1960, Copperfield, Memorial City, Westchase, Bellaire, Mission Bend/Sugar Land, and Stafford), Atascocita/Humble, Killeen, Austin, College Station/Bryan, Paris, Midland, Odessa, Texarkana, Spring, Plano, and Lewisville, TX.

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