New variants of COVID-19 are reminding us that the pandemic is not over. UW Health’s Chief Quality Officer Dr. Jeff Pothof, said two new variants are much more transmissible – even among those fully vaccinated or with prior infection.
“It’s really easy to catch COVID-19 with, you know, BA-5 or BA-4,” Pothof said. “With these variants that are so contagious, it really probably comes down to a matter of, you know, minutes, or maybe even seconds of being in close proximity to someone who’s shutting this virus for you to get infected.”
Today’s #COVID19_WI update, and a thank you to the 2M+ who’ve gotten an additional/booster dose. You’re protecting yourself and people around you. Learn more about staying up to date with #COVID19 vaccines and boosters: https://t.co/2FpaUfvjDC pic.twitter.com/6X8kHUnY74
— WIDeptHealthServices (@DHSWI) July 11, 2022
Hospitalizations due to COVID-19 in Wisconsin are again increasing. “But even what we call mild illness with COVID-19, it’s not so mild,” Pothof said. “It’s like a really bad case of the flu.”
Potof said people who are immunocompromised – or who just don’t want to get sick – may want to mask in public spaces and avoid crowded indoor settings.