COVID

Here’s what Ashish Jha said about the ‘highly immune evasive’ BA.5 COVID variant

“If you’ve not gotten a shot in 2022, especially if you’re over 50, you gotta go out and get one because that’s the best way to protect yourself."

Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House COVID-19 response coordinator, makes remarks during a news briefing at the White House in Washington on Thursday, June 2, 2022. Jha urged people to remain mindful of vaccinations and masking when appropriate amid a surge of cases tied to the new variant BA.5. Doug Mills/The New York Times

By Madeleine Aitken

July 13, 2022

With fewer masking requirements across the country and a highly transmissible new variant called BA.5, COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths are on the rise. In the last two weeks, COVID-19 infections have increased by 6%, hospitalizations by 17%, and deaths by 13%.

White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Ashish Jha explained in an interview on “TODAY” with Hoda Kotb that BA.5 is “highly immune evasive,” meaning a recent infection does not protect from another infection and even vaccinated people are seeing breakthrough infections. Still, he implored people to remain vigilant in this regard and keep up with vaccinations and boosters, children under 5 included.

“If you’ve not gotten a shot in 2022, especially if you’re over 50, you gotta go out and get one because that’s the best way to protect yourself,” he said.

Some of the surge can also be attributed to the increase in travel and the fact that masks are no longer required in airports or on airplanes. Jha shared that he’s still wearing a mask on planes and in crowded airports and urged others to do the same.

He said any city or statewide mandates would be made by local politicians, but he thinks federal mandates are unlikely. The potential for a federal mask mandate on planes to return is currently in the hands of the courts because it was blocked by a federal judge in April.

Jha reminded people that COVID-19 spreads most when people are together indoors, and to be mindful of that as we move into cooler months. He said that the White House is “making sure that we plan for a fall and winter surge of infections and be ready if that happens.”

Watch the full conversation here: