AUGUSTA, GA ( WJBF) – Doctors said new omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA. 5 are highly infectious and transmissible.

Prior immunity offers less protection meaning even if you’ve had COVID before you could still catch it again.

“Our immune system doesn’t respond as well to prevent infection and so we’re getting infected and we’re seeing folks getting re-infected,” Medical College of Georgia’s Dr. Rodger MacArthur, who works in Infectious Diseases.

The CDC says 80 percent of new COVID cases can be linked to the new subvariants with 100,000 cases across the US daily.

“That’s just the ones reported to the health departments. When you look at all these at home test kits, we’re probably seeing now 600,000 cases across the US each day,” MacArthur said.

White House officials are considering a plan that would allow all adults to get a second COVID booster shot.

It comes after a rise in COVID cases linked to the BA. 4 and BA.5 omicron subvariants.

“I think there are many individuals who would benefit from a second booster,” MacArthur said.

Infectious disease expert, Dr. Rodger MacArthur said while there are more cases , we’re still seeing fewer hospitalizations.

He also said a new vaccine that could come out this fall would help fight against new subvariants like BA.4 and 5.

“The FDA is going to mandate that the newer vaccines have some component that look a whole lot more like the subvariants. They’ll have protection against the subvariants,” MacArthur said.