Video: Boston infectious disease specialist discusses new strains of omicron variant
Updated: 5:59 PM EDT Apr 5, 2022
ERIKA: NEW NATIONAL DATA ABOUT COVID-19 SHOWS THREE STRAINS OF THE OMICRON VARIANT CAUSING 100% OF INFECTIONS IN THE U.S. HERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS IS DR. HELEN BOUCHER, THE INTERIM DEAN OF TUFTS MEDICAL SCHOOL AND AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE SPECIALIST AT TUFTS MEDICAL CENTER. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. DR. BOUCR:HE GOOD TO SEE YOU. BEN: AS YOU KNOW, THE CDC HAS A TOOL ONLINE THAT TCKRAS THE RISE AND FALL OF DIFFERENT COVID STRAINS. THE ORIGINAL VARIANTS, ALPHA, BETA, THOSE DISAPPEARED A LONG TIME AGO. DELTA IS ALSO DOWN TO ZERO. THE ONLY ONES THAT REMAIN IN THE U.S. ARE 3 STRAINS OF OMICN,RO AND BA-2 IS CLEARLY EMERGING AS THE DOMINANT MUTATION. DO YOU THINK IT’S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE IT’S THE ONLY ONE THAT REMAINS? DR. BOUCHER: THAT’S THE WAY IT LOOKS. IN SOME WAYS, WE CAN SAY WE HOPE SO BECAUSE IT WOU MLDEAN THAT AN OTHER VARIANT HAS NOT EMERGED. ERA:IK WE SPOKE WITH YOU LAST WEEK ABOUT THE INCREASE IN CASES FROM B2.A- HA YVEOU SEEN ANY DATA SINCE THEN THAT’S MAKING YOU MORE CONCERNED? DR. BOUCHER: TWO THINGS CONCERN US. TEST POSITIVITY IS CREEPING BACK UP TO 5% OR MORE IN SOME STUDIES AND WE KNOW THAT WE ARE NOT CAPTURING ALL OF THE TESTS. BUT THAT GETS OUR ATTENTION. AND WASTEWATER IS GOING UP. IT IS NOT GOING UP NEARLY AS YWA IT — NEARLY AS IT DID WITH OMICRON, BUT IT IS SOMETHING WE HAVE TO KEEP OUR EYES ON. BEN: WITH THE ORIGINAL OMICRON STRAIN, BY THE TIME IT BECEAM DOMINANT AND OVERTOOK DELTA, WE WERE AVERAGING THOUSANDS OF CASES EVERY DAY AND HAD NEARLY 1500 PEOE PLHEIN T HOSPITAL. IS IT A GOOD SIGN THAT WE’RE NOWHERE CLOSE TO THOSE NUMBERS AS BA-2 HAS OVERTAKEN BA-1? OR IS IT TOO EARLY TO TELL? DRBO. UCHER: YES TO BOTH. IT’’ A GOOD SIGN THIS IS NOT TAKING OFF FASTER BUT WE STILL HAVE TO BE VIGILANT AND WE DO NOT KNOW THE FUTURE. THAT IS THE HARDEST PART. I STLIL HOPE PEOPLE WILL BE CAREFUL. IF THEY HAVE SYMOMPTS, STAY HOME, GET A TEST, BE VIGILANT AND AYST TUNED IF WE HAVE TO
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Video: Boston infectious disease specialist discusses new strains of omicron variant
Updated: 5:59 PM EDT Apr 5, 2022
New national data about COVID-19 shows that three strains of the omicron coronavirus variant are causing 100% of infections in the United States.
New national data about COVID-19 shows that three strains of the omicron coronavirus variant are causing 100% of infections in the United States.
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