Q&A: Infectious disease specialist talks latest COVID-19 updates

COVID-19 cases are rising in Michigan while a new sub-lineage of the omicron variant, BA.2.86, was recently identified in the state. Experts are encouraging residents to get the latest booster shot, which was approved by the Food and Drug Administration last week.

Local infectious disease specialists say the updated COVID-19 vaccine will likely protect against the new omicron sub-lineages circulating in Michigan's population. The latest variant, BA.2.86, had been identified in 24 cases worldwide as of Aug. 30 and is likely not responsible for recent increases in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Everyone over the age of 6 months is eligible for the updated COVID-19 booster shots, according to the CDC. Individuals can search for providers in their ZIP codes using the federal vaccine finder here. COVID-19 vaccines are available at no cost for adults who don't have insurance, or whose insurance doesn't cover the full amount through the CDC's Bridge Access Program.

The Biden administration also announced the reopening of COVIDTests.gov earlier this week. The program will deliver at-home COVID-19 tests to households across the country for free. Starting on Sept. 25 all households can order four free COVID-19 tests here.

The Detroit News spoke with Dennis Cunningham, medical director of infection prevention at Henry Ford Health, about all the latest COVID-19-related developments.

Question: What is the BA.2.86 variant and how is it different from previous omicron variants?

Answer: So there are a whole bunch of omicron (viruses) circling right now. Everything's in the category of omicron, but there's a whole bunch of different viruses. It was XBB for a while, then it was XBB.1.5. and there have been a few others since then. BA.2.86 has been detected in around 10 states this time, but the absolute number is really, really low. Every week, the CDC reports which COVID viruses they're finding and BA.2.86 has very low numbers at this point.

What that means to me is that there are other omicron variants that are doing much better and they're spreading much more easily. I'm not too worried about 2.86. It's pretty similar to some of the other omicron we had, so people who were vaccinated or infected in the past are going to have some protection against it. I think there are other variants out there that are much more likely to cause disease or cause a lot of cases.

With omicron variants, you're less likely to wind up in the hospital with severe disease. If you're very old or you have a bad immune system or lots of medical problems, you can get really sick, but most people are not going to have severe disease.

Q: In terms of genetic mutations, how different are the variants circulating now compared to the very first ones in early 2020?

A: It's almost completely unrecognizable. The spike protein — how the virus attaches to our cells and gets inside our body — has changed so much that it looks completely different.

But the spike protein that's changing, that's only one piece of the virus. There are other pieces that still look an awful lot like your typical coronavirus.

Q: How effective will the new COVID-19 vaccine be against the new circulating variants?

A: I'm really excited that we have this updated vaccine coming out. It's going to work much better for the omicron viruses that are currently circulating, and it's one of the best ways we can protect ourselves against any infection. Wearing a mask can help, so if you're really at high risk of severe disease when you're out in large groups, you might want to use the mask. Everybody's eligible for one booster with this new vaccine.

Q: Can people still receive older COVID-19 vaccines?

A: The old ones are no longer approved for use in the country. When the FDA approved this new vaccine they said stop using the old ones. Omicron's changed enough that those old vaccines aren't working quite as well.

Q: Why are people paying more for this COVID-19 booster shot compared to previous vaccine doses?

A: When it (the vaccine) was under emergency use authorization, only the government could buy it. That's why we were getting it at no extra cost because our tax dollars were used to buy it. Now that that money pool has been exhausted, that's why we're now seeing it go to insurance instead.

I think you're going to find that most insurance companies will cover it, but people should always check with their own insurance company.

Q: Is there going to be an end to COVID-19?

A: I don't think there's going to be an end to it. I think we're going to periodically have little outbreaks, hopefully, nothing like when it first hit our country.

If you look across the country and even in Michigan, the number of cases has doubled over the past six weeks. They're still relatively low numbers. As the weather gets colder and we're inside more, the windows are closed, and we're not in the fresh air, I do think we're going to see cases go up. But, I'm not to the point where I'm worried like I was a year ago or two years ago.