There’s a new, more contagious omicron strain, and it’s in Miami-Dade. Here’s what we know
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A new COVID surge in Florida
What to know about a new COVID-19 variant, resources for more information, how to protect yourself, how to know if you have just a cold or allergies.
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Florida has seen its first three cases of an omicron subvariant that is quickly gaining ground, with all three of the cases found in Miami-Dade County, a medical laboratory has confirmed.
On Tuesday, Premier Medical Laboratory Services says it has identified the first three cases of the BA.4 strain in Miami-Dade. Additionally, another omicron subvariant, BA.5, has been rapidly growing in the Southeast.
Experts say these variants have a higher chance of evading vaccines and booster shots.
BA.4 and BA.5 are classified as “variants of concern” by the World Health Organization, meaning they show evidence of higher transmission rates and increased hospitalizations or deaths.
Premier Medical says BA.4 and BA.5 may be the cause of increased COVID-19 cases in the United States and in Florida.
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In the past seven days, Florida has added 10,081 new COVID-19 cases and 24 deaths per day, according to Miami Herald calculations of data published by the CDC. That’s up from the previous seven-day period, when the state added 9,579 new cases and 22 deaths per day at the end of May, according to the Herald’s calculations of CDC data.
READ MORE: Florida COVID weekly update: Trends continue to increase as state sees more cases
Miami-Dade County has a high COVID-19 Community Level risk, 1 of only 7 percent of U.S. counties, districts or territories that carried this designation as of June 2, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC recommends wearing a mask in public and on public transportation, staying current with COVID-19 vaccines, including boosters, and getting tested if you have symptoms. And if you are at high risk of contracting COVID, you should take further precautions listed here, the CDC says.
Where are these variants from?
The BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants were first reported in South Africa in January and February, respectively, and are now the dominant variants there, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.
As of the end of May, BA.4 was identified in 30 countries and BA.5 was detected in 32 countries, Premier Medical said.
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How dominant are the variants?
While the pair are not close to becoming the dominant subvariants in the country, they are growing exponentially faster than others, according to Miami Herald calculations of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.
Omicron subvariant BA.2.12.1 is still the most dominant strain in the U.S., accounting for an estimated 62.2% of new cases in the week ending June 4, CDC data shows. The variant accounts for 65.7% of new cases in the Southeast, which includes Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.
This variant only recently became the most dominant strain two weeks ago.
In terms of growth, BA.5 is beating the pack in the Southeast. Here’s how far the variants have advanced in the last week:
▪ In the week ending May 28, BA.5 accounted for 5.3% of new cases in the Southeast, according to CDC data. By the next week, the variant had accounted for 9.1% of new cases.
▪ In the week ending May 28, BA.4 accounted for 2.4% of new cases. By the next week, the variant had jumped to 3.9% of new cases.
▪ In the week ending May 28, BA.2.12.1 accounted for 63% of new cases. By the next week, the variant had accounted for 65.7% of new cases.
▪ In the week ending May 28, BA.2 accounted for 29.2% of new cases. By the next week, the variant had accounted for only 21.2% of new cases.
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Are the new subvariants more dangerous than other variants?
Experts don’t expect BA.4 and BA.5 to be more severe than omicron and its subvariants.
The available data suggest any immunity people had from the vaccine or a previous COVID-19 infection might not be as effective in protecting against the new subvariants, compared with the other omicron variants, said Mary Jo Trepka, an infectious disease epidemiologist and professor at Florida International University.
“There is concern that it’s going to be harder for our immune system to fight off these variants. That’s what laboratory information tells us,” Trepka said. “What’s going to happen in the real world remains to be seen.”
Trepka said it’s also too soon to say if the variants will result in a more severe COVID infection like what omicron caused in the winter. In early January, Florida reported to the CDC 76,887 new COVID-19 cases, the state’s largest single-day increase on record for the pandemic at that time.
Trepka noted that people do have a tool to help fight off the viruses: Vaccination.
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Even if the vaccines don’t work as well on these subvariants, it’s still an extra layer of protection, she said.
“And that’s why if you’re not vaccinated yet, you are going to definitely get a benefit from being vaccinated,” Trepka said. “If you’re not boosted, yet, you’ll get a benefit from being boosted.”
This story was originally published June 8, 2022 at 2:10 PM.
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