Everything We Have Learned About Omicron Variant Thus Far
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Omicron was first reported by South Africa in November and has since replaced the Delta variant in most countries as the most prevalent strain. The dominant form of Omicron, known as BA.1, continues to account for the vast majority of confirmed new COVID-19 infections globally, but another subvariant, known as BA.2, has begun to outcompete it in some places.
Some early studies have shown BA.2 appears to be more transmissible than the dominant BA.1 subvariant – leading scientists to ramp up their investigations. The strain is being closely watched in countries including Denmark, India and Nepal where it has become dominant, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Here Is What We Know So Far.
What is the BA.2 subvariant?
The BA.2 strain is one of several sub lineages of the Omicron variant identified so far, which also include BA.1 and BA.3.
The BA.1 version has caused the highest number of Omicron COVID-19 cases globally. As of now, BA.1 comprised 96.4 percent of sequences submitted to the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data, the WHO reported.
Where has it been detected?
The BA.2 strain was first reported in South Africa in November. According to the WHO, it has since been detected in at least 57 countries as of January 31.
Is It More Transmissible?
According to experts in the United Kingdom and Denmark, the BA.2 variant is seemingly more transmissible than other sublineages.
In a technical paper published by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), data collected from contact tracing indicated higher transmission among contacts of BA.2 cases at 13.4 percent, compared to 10.3 percent for households of other Omicron infections.
Does it cause more severe disease?
Based on the data, researchers of the WHO’s COVID-19 Response Team said this week there appeared to be no difference in disease severity caused by the two sub variants.
Is it a cause for concern?
A virologist at the University of Saskatchewan, said it was “unclear” if BA.2 was a cause for alarm. “It doesn’t seem to be gaining ground in the some places similar to what was seen in some other areas,” she told
Conclusion
These are the reasons why it is really important that we take measures to reduce our exposure to this virus, whatever variant is circulating, and Omicron is becoming dominant worldwide.
Also read- How Much Do Scientists Currently Know About The Omicron Variant?
