BA.5 is believed to be the most infectious variant yet.

Thanks to the proliferation of vaccines and antivirals, as well as years now of masking and distancing efforts, the coronavirus has reached a semi-manageable state. Outbreaks are still popping up around the United States on a semi-regular basis, but hospitals are not as overwhelmed with patients as they were at the pandemic’s peak. However, while things have become more manageable, the COVID-19 pandemic is not yet over, especially with the advent of a new variant.

Medical personnel around the world have been tracking the emergence of variant BA.5 of COVID-19, an offshoot of the Omicron variant. In a short time, BA.5 has already become the dominant strain of the virus in the United States thanks to its surprisingly infectious nature. BA.5 is even more proficient at evading human immune responses than previous variants, and coupled with the ease by which it spreads, it will likely begin to spread rapidly around the country.

However, much like the other Omicron offshoots, BA.5 does not seem to carry a more severe viral load, so while it does spread more easily, it does not seem to be resulting in an uptick of severe COVID-19 cases. ICU admissions are expected to increase, but not to the level they reached at the pandemic’s peak.

“We have been watching this virus evolve rapidly. We’ve been planning and preparing for this moment. And the message that I want to get across to the American people is this: BA.5 is something we’re closely monitoring, and most importantly, we know how to manage it,” said Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House’s COVID-19 response coordinator.

Health officials are currently in talks to begin distributing fresh COVID-19 vaccines, particularly to young adults whose immunity from the first round of vaccines may be waning.