Is a new Covid wave coming?

"SARS-CoV-2 continues to change - to have new sub-variants of Omicron. In the UK, they believe a new wave is beginning due to two sub-variants of Omicron - BA.4 and BA.5. Even in countries with high vaccination rates, the sub-variants are managing to bypass the immune response in vaccinated people and in people who had been ill," epidemiologist Dr. Hristiana Bacelova told BNT programme ”The Day Begins” on June 20.

She clarified that there are not many new cases registered in Bulgaria at this stage.

"A large number of people do not get tested if they do not need hospital treatment or for some other reason," Dr Hristiana Bacelova added.

According to her, when the waves of newly infected people start in Western Europe, they come to Bulgaria after about a month.

"There is evidence that the Omicron sub-variants BA.4 and BA.5 affect the lungs and can cause severe ilness," she explained.

She said it is too soon to relax, although the number of cases is not so high at the moment.