Wisconsin Health Officials Say New COVID Variants Are Easily Transmissible

(Wisconsin) New variants of COVID are reminding us that the pandemic is not over. UW Health’s Dr. Jeff Pothof says the BA-5 and BA-4 variants are much more transmissible – even among those fully vaccinated or with prior infection.

Pothof says (quote)…”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.”

While there has not yet been an increase in deaths and hospitalizations in Wisconsin, Pothof says people who are immunocompromised – or who just do not want to get sick – may want to mask in public spaces and avoid crowded indoor settings.

So far in Dodge County, 52.8-percent of the population has received at least one dose of the vaccine while 50.7-percent have completed the vaccination series. Exactly 28-percent have received an additional booster dose.

WRN contributed

Photo courtesy of the Wisconsin Department of Health Department website