Reporter For the third ░░░░░░░░ year now summer has ░░░░░░░░ Covid uncertainty in California ░░░░░░░░ latest includes the increase ░░░░░░░░ those two Omicron sub ░░░░░░░░ the B 85 and ░░░░░░░░ 84 For more on ░░░░░░░░ let s bring in ░░░░░░░░ practitioner Alice Benjamin Nurse ░░░░░░░░ it s great to ░░░░░░░░ you BENJAMIN Glad to ░░░░░░░░ here Reporter You know ░░░░░░░░ ve got to talk ░░░░░░░░ these variants because how ░░░░░░░░ are these right now ░░░░░░░░ what are your specific ░░░░░░░░ about them BENJAMIN So ░░░░░░░░ to the CDC right ░░░░░░░░ these two new newer ░░░░░░░░ are the dominant strain ░░░░░░░░ for over 85 percent ░░░░░░░░ cases Now our concern ░░░░░░░░ is that Omicron is ░░░░░░░░ to extend its family ░░░░░░░░ so these particular variants ░░░░░░░░ able to escape the ░░░░░░░░ of those who are ░░░░░░░░ vaccinated and with natural ░░░░░░░░ which can increase a ░░░░░░░░ for breakthrough infection so ░░░░░░░░ s one of our ░░░░░░░░ concerns Reporter I think ░░░░░░░░ thing we re seeing ░░░░░░░░ is a lot of ░░░░░░░░ infections as well we ░░░░░░░░ get more to that ░░░░░░░░ just a moment There ░░░░░░░░ also this misconception Nurse ░░░░░░░░ Covid is somehow like ░░░░░░░░ common cold now that ░░░░░░░░ lot of people who ░░░░░░░░ getting sick may not ░░░░░░░░ it that severely but ░░░░░░░░ do know that a ░░░░░░░░ of people are seeing ░░░░░░░░ lot of severe symptoms ░░░░░░░░ is it different right ░░░░░░░░ than what we saw ░░░░░░░░ in the winter BENJAMIN ░░░░░░░░ back in the winter ░░░░░░░░ were still seeing somewhat ░░░░░░░░ an overlap of the ░░░░░░░░ strain and the Omicron ░░░░░░░░ but when it comes ░░░░░░░░ these newer variants we ░░░░░░░░ seeing coughs runny nose ░░░░░░░░ throat fatigue headaches and ░░░░░░░░ pains People are less ░░░░░░░░ to lose their sense ░░░░░░░░ taste or smell or ░░░░░░░░ short of breath and ░░░░░░░░ that s also different ░░░░░░░░ we re not seeing ░░░░░░░░ attack on the lungs ░░░░░░░░ severe pneumonia or the ░░░░░░░░ issues of a blood ░░░░░░░░ But still these kind ░░░░░░░░ upper respiratory like neck ░░░░░░░░ up symptoms are very ░░░░░░░░ as well as the ░░░░░░░░ aches Reporter Absolutely Let ░░░░░░░░ talk now about re ░░░░░░░░ If someone does test ░░░░░░░░ is there like a ░░░░░░░░ where they would be ░░░░░░░░ the clear to not ░░░░░░░░ infected again BENJAMIN I ░░░░░░░░ there was I wish ░░░░░░░░ knew of kind of ░░░░░░░░ timeout time frame where ░░░░░░░░ could be protected but ░░░░░░░░ short answer is we ░░░░░░░░ don t know There ░░░░░░░░ too many variables right ░░░░░░░░ We know that natural ░░░░░░░░ can lead to varying ░░░░░░░░ because some people will ░░░░░░░░ low antibodies some people ░░░░░░░░ have high antibodies and ░░░░░░░░ know that vaccine immunity ░░░░░░░░ over time and these ░░░░░░░░ strains are so transmissible ░░░░░░░░ they re good at ░░░░░░░░ the immunity that we ░░░░░░░░ And then you got ░░░░░░░░ take into consideration people ░░░░░░░░ are immunocompromised or who ░░░░░░░░ preexisting medical conditions or ░░░░░░░░ that weakens the immune ░░░░░░░░ can put you at ░░░░░░░░ for re infection So ░░░░░░░░ know we don t ░░░░░░░░ a solid answer The ░░░░░░░░ we ve seen in ░░░░░░░░ countries at shortest two ░░░░░░░░ but the trend thus ░░░░░░░░ in the United States ░░░░░░░░ been a couple months ░░░░░░░░ or five months or ░░░░░░░░ at least Reporter Wow ░░░░░░░░ is anecdotal but it ░░░░░░░░ like I know more ░░░░░░░░ with Covid right now ░░░░░░░░ in the last few ░░░░░░░░ than I have at ░░░░░░░░ point during this pandemic ░░░░░░░░ of vaccines you know ░░░░░░░░ there a vaccine or ░░░░░░░░ that will be targeting ░░░░░░░░ new subvariants BENJAMIN We ░░░░░░░░ to see that very ░░░░░░░░ In fact the FDA ░░░░░░░░ drugmakers to update vaccines ░░░░░░░░ for a October rollout ░░░░░░░░ know updating these vaccines ░░░░░░░░ can match the circulating ░░░░░░░░ and this will hopefully ░░░░░░░░ the effectiveness and provide ░░░░░░░░ lasting immunity so we ░░░░░░░░ t go into these ░░░░░░░░ months with a spike ░░░░░░░░ rate a spike in ░░░░░░░░ a spike in hospitalizations ░░░░░░░░ we re going to ░░░░░░░░ need to update our ░░░░░░░░ So hopefully the drugmakers ░░░░░░░░ come through as soon ░░░░░░░░ October Reporter Absolutely Nurse ░░░░░░░░ Alice Benjamin thank you ░░░░░░░░ much for your time ░░░░░░░░ appreciate you BENJAMIN Thanks ░░░░░░░░ having me Stay safe ░░░░░░░░ Absolutely.”