JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – The newest omicron variant of COVID-19 that has swept Mississippi and the nation isn’t playing around. According to health experts, those who’ve already had the virus, immunizations and boosters are still at great risk of contracting it.
“We’ve entered a new phase of the pandemic, and we know more about the virus than ever before. From what we know, the Omicron variant BA.5 is predominant and extremely transmissible. It escapes immunity,” said Dr. Bhagyashri Navalkele, associate professor and medical director of infectious diseases at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC).
Because case numbers are significantly up in Mississippi, so are hospitalizations and the chance of those infected getting much sicker than just experiencing symptoms of the common cold or mild flu.
Navalkele suggests the public take steps that include:
- Resume precautions including masking indoors and while traveling, meticulous hand-washing and avoiding crowds to lessen your chances of infection.
- Get vaccinated and boosted. All Americans ages six months or older can get a COVID vaccine, and those 5 and older can get a booster to provide an additional layer of defense against severe illness and death.
Vaccines are used to prevent severe disease, hospitalizations and deaths, but they don’t protect you from exposure or developing the virus.
The rise in case counts from people traveling and congregating during the long Fourth of July weekend hasn’t fully come down the pike, she said.
“When the case numbers go up in the next three to four weeks, we will continue to see hospitalizations go up as well,” said Navalkele.
If you become infected, patients can determine if they’re eligible to take oral antivirals or monoclonal antibody infusions.
Oral antiviral therapies which can be prescribed by providers include Paxlovid and Molnupiravir. Pharmacists can prescribe Paxlovid, but not Molnupiravir. Navalkele recommends talking to your health care provider if you test positive to see whether an oral antiviral is the right option for you.
Also available are monoclonal antibodies that fight particular infections such as Evusheld, used for prevention of severe infection in those with weakened immune systems, such as cancer or transplant patients. The FDA has limited use of certain monoclonal antibodies to treat the Omicron variants.
“This is not the time to put our guards down. Putting yourself at risk of getting exposed and getting the infection is not worth it,” Navalkele said. “Even if you get infected, tomorrow, you will still be at risk for exposure, and we know that this variant escapes the immune response from a vaccine.