COVID-19
Omicron variant BA.5 behind new COVID surge
July 14, 2022 - Virologists are worried by the emergence of a quickly mutating Omicron variant BA.2.75, known as Centaurus, already spreading faster than the highly transmissible BA.5, which now makes up over 50% of cases.
Omicron variant BA.5 was behind 52% of cases sequenced in late June, up from 37% in one week, according to the World Health Organization. BA.5 can evade the immune protection afforded either by vaccination or prior infection. BA.2.75 has a large number of extra mutations and appears to be spreading twice as fast as BA.5