‘Stealth’ COVID variant more transmissible, less severe

HELLO NEWS HOUNDS. IT’S MONDAY, MARCH 21^ST

THE CORONAVIRUS CONTINUES TO EVOLVE, AND NOW WE HAVE A NEW VARIANT: B-A 2

HERE’S THE LATEST SERVED STRAIGHT UP.

THE NEW VARIANT, BA 2, IS THE LATEST COVID VARIANT TO CAUSE PROBLEMS AROUND THE GLOBE.

DESCRIBED AS A “STEALTH” STRAIN BECAUSE OF THE WAY IT SHOWS UP ON TESTS, THE NEW STRAIN OF CORONAVIRUS IS SAID TO BE 50-60 PERCENT MORE TRANSMISSABLE THAN OMICRON, BUT NOT AS SEVERE.

BA-2 IS BELIEVED TO ACCOUNT FOR ABOUT 30% OF NEW COVID CASES IN THE U-S.

U.S. SURGEON GENERAL DR. VIVEK MURTHY: “OUR GOAL IS TO KEEP PEOPLE OUT OF THE HOSPITAL, IT’S TO SAVE THEIR LIVES. WE HAVE MORE TOOLS TO DO THAT THAN EVER BEFORE. SO OUR GOAL SHOULD BE ON PREPARATION, NOT ON PANIC. AND IF WE GET PEOPLE THESE TOOLS—VACCINES, BOOSTERS, TREATMENTS—THEN WE CAN ACTUALLY GET THROUGH WAVES AS THEY COME AND GO.”