Omicron subvariants bypass vaccine protection – WHO

World Health Organization Special Envoy on COVID-19 David Nabarro warned on Monday that the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants of Omicron “seem to be pretty good at dodging past the protection that some of us have from vaccination.” He said the resulting illness is “pretty nasty” and can last for one week to 10 days in more severe cases, although it is “survivable for most people.”

However, in the interest of people at high risk, as well as “because of the constant worries about long COVID,” Nabarro appealed to people to wear face masks in crowded areas or if they exhibit symptoms and are unable to get tested for the virus immediately. “We are getting through this pandemic. We are not through it yet, but we seem to be getting through it. And for many of us now, the illness will be an inconvenience rather than life-threatening,” he stated.