COVID-19: RSV & Flu Surging, Lack of Exposure or Suppressed Response?
Dr. Kevin Kavanagh from Health Watch USA(sm) discusses the rapid rise of BA.1 and BA.1.1 variants which now comprise 27% of the sequences in the United States. These variants have an increase in immune evasion and have and can cause significant disease. Being up to date on your boosters is imperative. There are reports that the new bivalent booster has a similar efficacy as the ancestral booster, but it should still be effective in preventing severe disease and death from the new variants, since the boosters elicit a wide range of antibodies. We are also seeing a resurgence of the Flu and RSV viral infections. This may be because we were not exposed to them for the last two years, but another possibility is that COVID-19 suppresses one's immunity for a period of time. With a booster that is less than 100% effective, and highly infectious immune escape variants spreading, we should continue to wear N95 masks and avoid high-risk indoor settings. Jack Pattie Show. Oct. 31, 2022.