Mayo Clinic Talks3 Feb 2022

Mayo Clinic Q&A: Omicron wave wanes, new variant arises

This episode is shared from Mayo Clinic Q&A and was recorded in January 2022

Guest: Gregory A. Poland, M.D. (@drgregpoland)

Host: Halena M. Gazelka, M.D. (@hmgazelkamd)

The number of new COVID-19 cases in the U.S. is dropping as the omicron wave wanes in many places, but some parts of the country lag behind.

"As a nation, it looks like we've kind of gotten to the peak and are now starting on the decline, but it's very uneven," explains Dr. Gregory Poland, head of Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group. "That's what's happening in the big Northeast cities, and maybe in L.A., for example. But if you look at the rest of the nation, it's not clear that they have peaked yet."

And on the heels of the latest surge, a new omicron subvariant — BA.2 — is emerging. Early indications are that the new subvariant may be more transmissible, but it does not appear to cause more severe disease than the original omicron strain.

Mayo experts, including Dr. Poland, continue to urge COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters as the best defense against the latest variants.

"By getting two doses of vaccine and a booster, or a dose of Johnson & Johnson and a booster, you move yourself into a category of maximal protection such that if you have a normal immune system, you are probably going to have trivial or even asymptomatic disease if you get infected with COVID-19," explains Dr. Poland.

On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Poland discusses the latest information on COVID-19 and answers listener questions.

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(500)

Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic (CKM) Syndrome

Host: Darryl S. Chutka, M.D. Guest: Regis Fernandes, M.D. We’ve known for some time that patients who have hypertension and diabetes are at increased risk for developing subsequent cardiovascular di...

30 Jun 29min

Common Pickleball Injuries

Host: Darryl S. Chutka, M.D. Guest: Joshua M. Romero, M.D. Pickleball has become one of the fastest growing sports in the U.S., especially among older adults. This rapid rise in popularity has also ...

23 Jun 26min

Vector-Borne Illnesses

Host: Darryl S. Chutka, M.D. Guest: Stacey Rizza, M.D. Although vector-borne illnesses can be acquired by travel to distant parts of the world, some can be acquired here in the U.S. As a result, the...

18 Jun 21min

Update on Lyme Disease

Host: Darryl S. Chutka, M.D. Guest: Stacey Rizza, M.D. Lyme Disease is a tick-borne illness commonly seen in various parts of the country. Despite its common occurrence in the primary care practice,...

16 Jun 28min

Ebola Virus

Host: Darryl S. Chutka, M.D. Guest: Stacey Rizza, M.D. We’ve now had our second outbreak of a potentially deadly infectious disease. Hantavirus has been diagnosed in several individuals and most rec...

9 Jun 31min

Addiction Care & Empowering the Non-Specialist

Host: Darryl S. Chutka, M.D. Guest: Benjamin Lai, M.D. Substance use disorders are chronic and often relapsing conditions associated with compulsive substance use. They result from a complex interac...

2 Jun 28min

Fibromyalgia

Host: Darryl S. Chutka, M.D. Guest: Michael Mueller, M.D. Fibromyalgia is a chronic health problem commonly seen in a primary care setting. It can be challenging to diagnose and even more so to mana...

26 Mai 33min

Bladder Cancer

Host: Darryl S. Chutka, M.D Guest: Mark D. Tyson, III, M.D., M.P.H. Bladder cancer is one of the most common malignancies worldwide, and primary care clinicians are often the first to evaluate patie...

21 Mai 28min