Wily Covid Variant Sweeps the Country, Dodging Immune Defenses

BA.5 brings widespread cases, lower hospitalizations
LA may restore indoor mask mandate if level stays high

WATCH: Biden is experiencing mild symptoms after contracting Covid-19. He’s released a video saying he is “doing well.”Source: Bloomberg

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By Carey Goldberg

July 21, 2022 at 7:11 PM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

U.S. President Joe Biden joins a rising national Covid-19 wave dominated by a fast-spreading new variant known as BA.5, a wily evader of immune defenses.

Infections have been on the rise in the US, with 177,000 new cases reported on July 19, up from roughly 27,000 new cases on April 1. Los Angeles is seeing so many positive cases that it’s likely to bring back indoor mask mandates next week, and San Francisco virus levels in wastewater have climbed higher than this winter. The hospitalization rate has been inching up since April as well, though still well below previous peaks.