TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — An expert predicts that Taiwan will likely see a new wave of COVID cases in August due to the highly contagious nature of the Omicron subvariant BA.5, with daily infections rising to 50,000 per day or more.
On Wednesday (July 6), the Central Epidemic Command Center announced Taiwan's first local BA.5 cases, as well as the first subvariant cluster infection. The cluster infection started with a woman in her 30s who had just returned from the U.S. with her two children who contracted the virus before transmitting it to her mother and brother, residents of Taichung City.
Huang Li-min (黃立民), superintendent of National Taiwan University Children's Hospital, was cited by CNA as saying at a press conference that the main difference between the BA.1 and BA.2 subvariants of Omicron and BA.4 and BA.5 is that antibodies triggered by vaccination are far less effective at blocking the latter mutations.
When asked whether BA.4 and BA.5 will start a new wave of local cases, Huang said that because there have already been many COVID cases and due to the high vaccination coverage rate, the new subvariants will probably not take hold right away. Huang predicted that there will probably be a "honeymoon period" of at least one month during which the chances of BA.4 and BA.5 starting a new epidemic are relatively small.
However, in August, Huang said it is possible that a new outbreak will occur due to the poor efficacy of vaccines against BA.4 and BA.5. Huang estimated that by August, daily cases could climb to 50,000 or more.
Huang said the woman who started the cluster infection had only shared a car with her relatives who did not take off their masks, nor did they share a meal with her. He suggested that it could mean that just being in the same space was enough to transmit BA.5.
The expert said in order to reduce BA.4 and BA.5 infection risk, it is important to quickly administer next-generation vaccines to allow for the gradual relaxation of COVID restrictions, maintain medical capacity, and avoid infection and discomfort while abroad. He also urged parents to get their children vaccinated as soon as possible.
