The COVID-19 pandemic is far from over, according to experts.
BA.5 is even more transmissible, and better at evading the forces of the immune system. Evenare testing positive for the virus. Dr. David Montefiori, a virologist at Duke University, says that's because those who had a mild infection previously don't create a strong immune response to the virus.
That's because the vaccine triggers two branches of the immune system. First, the vaccine causes a type of immune cell known as a B-cell to produce antibodies-little torpedoes that fire against the virus, and more specifically against the proteins that allow the virus to enter cells, blocking them from working. However, those antibodies wane over time.
And both experts said two simple actions can reduce a person's individual risk of getting very sick or spreading disease to someone else vulnerable. Wohl and Montefiori also recommended that anyone over the age of 50 get a second booster shot if they haven't done so yet.