According to Politico, The White House along with other health organizations and countries are monitoring two emerging Omicron subvariants – BA.4 and BA.5.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the White House’s chief medical adviser, reportedly told Global Pulse that occurrence of Covid mutations is not abnormal but how those mutations may cause changes in how the virus may be of concern.

We spoke to [South Africa] as recently as Sunday, that they can’t make any statements right now about BA.4 or BA.5. A phenotypic consequence may mean it makes it a little bit more or less transmissible.

– Dr. Anthony Fauci (source: Politico)

South African researchers are reportedly looking into the genetic sequences of BA.4 and BA.5 variants, which are also reportedly present in Denmark, Botswana, Scotland and England, writes the Politico. “One new mutation in BA.4 and BA.5 could mean vaccines are less effective at preventing infection — even compared with BA.1 and BA.2.”

• White House on the lookout for BA.4 and BA.5
• COVID remains a public health emergency for now, says WHO and Biden administration

Citing the World Health Organization (WHO) and the White House, MPR News writes that both are saying “COVID-19 remains a public health emergency, even as global deaths from the virus have reached the lowest levels since March 2020”.

Some countries are still witnessing serious spikes in cases, which is putting pressure on hospitals. And our ability to monitor trends is compromised as testing has significantly reduced.

– Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General (source: MPR News)

“This virus has over time become more transmissible and it remains deadly especially for the unprotected and unvaccinated that don’t have access to health care and antivirals. [..] This virus has over time become more transmissible and it remains deadly especially for the unprotected and unvaccinated that don’t have access to health care and antiviral,” Ghebreyesus said.

Quoting a spokesperson from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), MPR News writes that the agency “will keep this mandate in place ‘in order to assess the potential impact the rise of cases has on severe disease, including hospitalizations and deaths, and health care system capacity’”.