COVID-19 cases are on the rise in the United States and omicron BA.5 is now the predominant variant, causing an estimated 78% of cases. Here’s what should you know to help keep your family safe.
Get boosted
Jeremy Cauwels, M.D., is the chief physician at Sanford Health.
考威尔斯博士说，接种疫苗和加强疫苗接种是保护自己和他人免受感染和对病毒产生严重反应的最佳方式。
Paxlovid can help some patients
In addition to vaccinations and boosters, Dr. Cauwels said if you do contract COVID-19, you may want to see if you qualify for Paxlovid, an antiviral therapy.
“There were several medications that were tried. This happens to be the most effective medication with an efficacy rate of over 90%, which is fantastic. It has been good, no matter which variant they’ve tried it on,” he said.
The FDA authorized Paxlovid for people ages 12 and older but in order to qualify for a prescription, you must also have had a positive COVID-19 test and be at high risk for developing severe COVID-19.
考威尔斯博士说，Paxlovid通常会在五天内消灭病毒。BA.5的潜伏期只有2 ~ 3天，比以前的新冠病毒短得多。
Symptoms of BA.5
Symptoms of BA.5 are similar to previous variants, including:
- Runny nose
- Cough and sore throat
- Fever
- Headaches
- Muscle pain
- Fatigue
考威尔斯博士说，很难比较变异的严重程度，因为每个病人都是不同的。
“Individual severity may not be that different. Meaning, if you were someone who carried a lot of chronic conditions and were going to get sick, you might still get very sick. And so I think that’s a big difference to point out that what we’re dealing with now is helping the individual get through as best they can,” Dr. Cauwels said.
Where to get your COVID-19 vaccine
Dr. Cauwels said communities are safest when everyone is working together to stay healthy. The best way to do that, he said, is through the COVID-19 vaccine and booster.
He encourages patients to get boosted, and unvaccinated patients to get vaccinated as soon as possible.
“If you truly haven’t gotten any vaccination whatsoever, there is good evidence to say that the combination of previous COVID and a vaccination is still a very good form of protection,” he said.
You canschedule your vaccinethrough My Sanford Chart, or by calling My Sanford Nurse.
这篇文章中的信息在发布时是准确的。随着COVID-19大流行的变化，科学认识和指南可能与最初发表日期相比有所改变。
Learn more
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- COVID-19 FAQs: Variants, vaccines and long-term effects
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Posted InCoronavirus,Expert Q&A,Immunizations
