The Omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 has been taking over the world in the past few months, as evident in the increasing cases all over the world.
But now, scientists are monitoring its subvariant BA.2 because it has been detected in almost 50 countries based on the data in Outbreak.info, the global dashboard of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).
What is Omicron Subvariant BA.2? Scientists Now Closely Monitoring the More Contagious Virus
Scientists Monitoring BA.2 Subvariant
The data shows that around 10,800 COVID-19 infections are identified as BA.2 subvariant of the Omicron variant. That includes the 54 identified cases of BA.2 subvariant in the US, which is 1% of all COVID-19 cases in the country. Researchers are not yet sure where the new Omicron subvariant originated from or whether it resulted from a severe illness.
But the World Health Organization (WHO) said that it descended from the BA.1 lineage, which also has different mutations, especially on its spike protein. They also said that the increasing prevalence of the subvariant prompted investigations on its characteristics, whether they are immune to the vaccine and "should be prioritized independently."
According to The Hill, the United Kingdom has also detected 400 BA.2 subvariant cases earlier this week, and the government is already classifying it as a "variant under investigation." Virologist Robert Garry from Tulane University School of Medicine told The Washington Post that the subvariant could not be a whole lot worse than the current Omicron variant.
In the past months, many variants have been identified throughout the pandemic that has not worsened and stayed within the classification of "variants of interest," such as the lambda ad mu variants.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned the public that the coronavirus pandemic is still far from over and that caution should still be followed, especially since there could be new variants in the future.
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BA.2 Subvariant More Contagious But May Not Cause Severe Diseases
Danish Health Minister Magnus Heunicke said on Wednesday that the BA.2 subvariant of Omicron is more contagious than the BA.1 lineage. He commented while Denmark is fighting a surge in cases wherein mostly due to the Omicron variant.
He said that although BA.2 is more contagious, there is no evidence that it causes more severe cases. Currently, the BA.1 lineage accounts for 98% of all cases globally, but Denmark is suffering from a surge of cases due to the BA.2 subvariant that became dominant in the second week of February.
According to Reuters, preliminary calculations reveal that BA.2 subvariant could be 1.5 times more infectious than BA.1. However, the health experts did not find any difference in the risk of hospitalization between the two Omicron subvariants.
Tyra Grove Krause, the director of Statens Serum Institut (SSI), said that there are some indications that BA.2 subvariant is more contagious, especially for those unvaccinated people. But they also noted that the subvariant could also infect even vaccinated people. Krause added that this could mean that the peak f the surge of cases in Denmark could extend until February.
On the other hand, CDC spokeswoman Kristen Nordlund also told the Post that there is insufficient data on the subvariant to say that there is inadequate data to say BA.2 is more contagious or has a fitness advantage over the BA.1 lineage. The CDC is monitoring the variants at both domestic and international levels.
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