Stealth Omicron: What You Need To Know About The Latest Subvariant
FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) – Those long COVID testing lines are down all over south Florida as the Omicron variant appears to have peaked.
At Mills Pond Park in Fort Lauderdale, it takes just a few minutes to get a free COVID test. Earlier this month you would have waited a few hours for the same test.
Even though Omicron is waning, the medical community in South Florida has an eye on a new threat – a subvariant of Omicron nicknamed "stealth."
Stealth Omicron, formally known as BA.2, carries a number of mutations that are thought to make it even more transmissible.
"I think we have to get used to the fact that the virus will continue to mutate especially when we don't have people who are vaccinated completely," said Dr. Adrien Florens.
Dr. Florens is a neonatologist and pediatrician with KIDZ Medical Services.
"I know some people think omicron and stealth are like the common cold and we don't know that," said Dr Florens. "This is here to stay and if the variant keeps changing hopefully it will get weaker as more people get vaccinated."
Still many remain unvaccinated and Dr. Florens said there will continue to be peaks and valleys with the virus. He said a number of expectant women aren't vaccinated.
"We are seeing an incredible amount of pregnant women positive for the virus and some of those are getting sick. Babies are not getting very sick, but I did see babies die over the summer from Delta," Dr. Florens said.