Interview: Omicron subvariants driving 5th COVID-19 wave in Mexico, expert says

MEXICO CITY, June 10 (Xinhua) -- The subvariants BA.12.1, BA.4 and BA.5 of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 are driving the fifth wave of infections in Mexico, Mexican epidemiologist Alfonso Vallejos Paras told Xinhua recently.

The expert, a member of the Department of Public Health of the Faculty of Medicine of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, said in an interview that these subvariants are mainly striking people who are not vaccinated against COVID-19.

"This uptick in cases is due to the Omicron subvariants as the virus mutates," he said, explaining that this "makes it more contagious" while there are still "susceptible" people.

"It is true that there is an increase in cases, but it hasn't reached the levels of previous waves. The number of deaths is expected to be lower due to the vaccination progress," Vallejos Paras added.

The specialist recommended returning to the protective health measures that were in place when the virus first appeared in Mexico in order to contain the new wave.

"We have to go back to wearing face masks, washing our hands frequently, social distancing, using ventilated spaces and continuing vaccination to avoid mutations," he said.

The expert also assured that Mexico's health sector is prepared to face the new situation, since hospitals have been equipped with medical supplies and other tools to deal with the disease in the past few years.

He called on people to get vaccinated in order to avoid developing a serious illness and generating a mutation of the virus that could make the entire population more susceptible.

"There is always the possibility that the virus could mutate, evade the vaccine's protection and make everyone vulnerable," Vallejos Paras warned.

Earlier this week, Mexico's Ministry of Health reported a trend in the increase of COVID-19 infections nationwide.

Against this backdrop, Deputy Health Minister Hugo Lopez-Gatell told reporters that the spike is part of the process of the virus' transition from the pandemic to endemic stage.

As of Thursday, the country had accumulated 5,808,696 COVID-19 cases and 325,091 deaths, according to the latest Health Ministry report.