Scientists say Covid-19 variants are continuing to 'accelerate' and the pandemic is definitely not behind us

Experts have revealed that the latest form of the coronavirus is unlikely to be the worst to come.

Covid-19 subvariant BA.5 is keenly proficient at fighting off the antibodies that attempt to pick a fight with the infection.

Unsurprisingly, it's also been referred to as 'Ninja Covid' due to its stealth-like ability to slip past the body’s defences better than any of its predecessors.

Medical experts feared BA.5 could have a several global impact, but it appears Ninja Covid peaked in July, according to a report by The Atlantic.

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Infections appear to be dropping pretty much everywhere except for Japan, a nation that is still reporting record waves as per The Japan Times.

However, experts are still warning that we're not out of the woods yet.

Founder and director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute Eric Topol reckons 'we’re not done yet' with coronavirus.

"New versions of the virus (think: the time it took from Omicron BA.1 to get to BA.5) are accelerating and we’re not done yet, by any stretch."

The esteemed medical researcher added on his blog: "It’s frankly sickening to watch this virus continue to outrun us."

Columbia University’s National Center for Disaster Preparedness director Irwin Redlener told The Daily Beast that mutations are a major threat to global health.

“The development of variants now is a freight train,” Redlener said.

"There is no right answer, but variant chasing is a flawed approach. By the time a BA.5 vaccine booster is potentially available, who knows what will be the predominant strain?"

As mutated versions of Covid-19 are outpacing the medical teams trying to combat the virus, Redlener stressed what methods can be deployed to try to keep BA.5 at bay.

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"This is not a time to abandon non-pharmaceutical intervention,” he said.

Considering he is a medical expert that is recognised in the US as a leader in disaster preparedness, the message is clear: mask up and keep up social distancing, even if these rules aren't enforced by your government.

Vaccines and boosters remain as the best armour against Covid-19, even if they only offer a reduced level of protection against BA.5.

"Even a boost of the original genome, or a recent infection, will [produce] some cross-protective antibodies to lessen the severity of a new Omicron subvariant infection," University of Alaska-Anchorage virologist Eric Bortz told The Daily Beast.

So, you heard the man. Mask up, keep your distance, and roll up your sleeves to get the jab when you can.

Topics: Coronavirus, Health, News, US News

Rachel Lang

Rachel Lang is a Digital Journalist at LADbible. During her career, she has interviewed Aussie PM Malcolm Turnbull in the lead up to the 2016 federal election, ran an editorial campaign on the war in Yemen, and reported on homelessness in the lead-up to Harry and Meghan’s wedding in Windsor. She also once wrote a yarn on the cheese and wine version of Fyre Festival.

@rlangjournalist