Alabama COVID cases rise as Omicron subvariants emerge

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) - As Alabama experiences an uptick in COVID cases once again, omicron sub-variants BA.5 and BA.4 have begun to make headlines for their ability to evade immunity protections.

“It’s highly resistant to any antibodies we have from any previous exposures or any vaccines that we’ve taken,” said John Moore, nurse practitioner and owner of North Dekalb Primary Care.

That is a cause of concern, especially for a county with only 35 percent of its population fully vaccinated. The FDA just approved vaccines for children under the age of 5. In the state of Alabama, a little more than 700 children in that age range have been vaccinated.

Medical assistant Trey Moore says they are ready to ease concerns and request medical decisions.

“We believe in science, we encourage you to do your own research, and again we have it available. We’re not going to force nothing on you. You’re welcome to wear your mask and when you come to the clinic, you’ll be talked to like a human being and we’re going to treat you regardless of your stance on the vaccine.”

As new subvariants may appear, John Moore offers comforting news to those when it comes to COVID saying “if we can say there’s a bright spot to anything, every time this thing mutates, it becomes less deadly.”

This isn’t meant to be a panic-button situation.

If you’ve already been fully vaccinated, you are still highly protected from severe illness, according to the Alabama Department of Public Health.

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