Lasse LehtonenThe director of HUS’s Diagnostic Center tweeted yesterday that 42.2 percent of the laboratory tests analyzed at the center came back positive in the first week of July. Up to 88 percent of those were caused by either BA.5 or BA.4, both of which are highly contagious and have caused spikes around the world.
Although the total number of infections has not yet increased significantly in Finland, it is difficult to measure the actual number of infections, because many people get the disease at home without a test.
“It can be seen that a new wave of infection caused by the BA.5 subvariant could start in Finland before autumn”, Olli Vapalahtia professor of zoonotic virology from the University of Helsinki told Helsingin Sanomat.
He said the BA.5 subvariant is remarkable for its extraordinary ability to evade immunity, whether natural or vaccine-induced — a result of changes in its spike protein. People with so-called hybrid immunity — immunity to both the infection and the vaccine — also appear to be more susceptible to contracting the subvariant.
– Avoiding immunity is this subversion’s super ability, Vapalahti described.
Studies show that the subvariant is also better able to infect cultured lung cells. In a study by the University of Tokyo, e.g. was found that the subvariants were more lethal in hamsters than BA.2, an earlier subvariant of the omicron variant.
Vapalahti reminded that the study does not necessarily indicate a higher risk of developing a serious disease in humans.
“Unlike hamsters, humans have been vaccinated and contracted diseases caused by similar strains in the past,” he explained. “There is reason to continue monitoring the situation.”
Mika SalminenDirector of health security at the Finnish Institute of Health and Welfare (THL), stated to Helsingin Sanomat that the load on hospital resources has increased moderately with the emergence of sub-variants BA.5 and BA.4 in Finland.
“Nothing too dramatic has happened yet, but the increase is noticeable,” he said, adding that the burden could still increase, especially due to the infectious sub-variants.
“Already the first omicron variant was so contagious that even though we had extensive restrictions and a general mask recommendation in January, it continued to spread. The phenomenon exists, and we really don’t have the tools to prevent infections. Vaccines still seem to give good protection against difficult forms of the disease,” said Salminen .
Aleksi Teivainen – HT
Source: The Nordic Page