Jordan sees ‘new wave of BA.5 COVID variant’

AMMAN — Jordan has likely entered a new wave of the pandemic driven by the more infectious BA.5 subvariant, Bassam Hijjawi, a member of the National Epidemiological Committee, said on Tuesday. 

Hijjawi said that the Kingdom recorded BA.5 infections after witnessing a stable infection rate during the fourth wave, noting that the new wave started at the end of June 2022, according to Al Mamlaka TV. 

Citing the rising test-positive rates, Hijjawi added that during the last two weeks, test-positive rates rose above 5 per cent, which is an indicator of a new wave.  

He added that the infections will likely be less severe than earlier waves, noting that the number of fatalities and hospitalisation rate globally have so far been less than the expectations. 

BA.5 is four times more contagious than the original variant of Omicron and the symptoms last for two to three days, Al Mamlaka reported.

Hijjawi also urged the public to take a booster shot and wear facemasks.