BA.2 version of omicron is rising in the U.S., but experts remain More investigation is required to fully determine the extent of these mutations impact. But the preliminary assessment found no evidence that vaccines would be any less effective against symptomatic disease for either sub-variant. Well be undertaking further analysis to investigate the small rise in the number of children admitted to hospital but currently coronavirus (COVID-19) poses a very low health risk to children and infants. This analysis is not an assessment of hospital severity, which will take further time to assess. The worst symptom is a "throat on fire," said University of California, San Francisco's Dr. Peter Chin-Hong. Early analyses suggest an increased growth rate compared to BA.1, however, growth rates have a low level of certainty early in the emergence of a variant and further analysis is needed. UKHSA continues to monitor and study variants of SARS-CoV-2 closely and is working with academic partners to rapidly assess the significance of the lineages BA.4 and BA.5. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published its latest COVID-19 variant technical briefing. Studiesof households and contactshave found that there is a higher risk of transmission to contacts from an Omicron case, when compared to Delta. To help us improve GOV.UK, wed like to know more about your visit today. It includes a complete list of studies planned and already under way into the emerging variant. Francois Balloux, Professor of Computational Systems Biology and director of the UCL Genetics Institute, said that BA.1 and BA.2 "can be considered as two epidemiologically largely equivalent sub-lineages of Omicron". Data and analysis will be released in due course through our regular surveillance reporting. Overall, the original Omicron lineage, BA.1, is dominant in the UK and the proportion of BA.2 cases is currently low. The guidance on vaccination is changing to help all of us bolster our defences in the face of this new variant. It is one for the scientists to watch, rather than for the public to be alarmed about at this stage. According to the CDC, the Omicron variant spreads more easily than the original SARS-CoV-2 virus and the Delta variant. SGTF is a useful indicator of the presence of Omicron, because as a rule Delta cases have the S-gene and Omicron cases do not. Of these, 20 were in England, 3 in Scotland and 1 in Wales. As we all work to limit the high levels of transmission of this variant over the Christmas period, we are urging people to test regularly, particularly before attending social gatherings. Omicron BA.2.75, the variant derived from the BA.2 lineage which was identified internationally earlier this month, has now been categorised as a separate variant and given the. What is Omicron sub-variant BA.2? All we know about the symptoms and The risk assessment also suggests that Omicron displays a reduction in protection offered by having had a previous infection or vaccination. This analysis is preliminary and highly uncertain because of the small numbers of Omicron cases currently in hospital, inability to effectively measure all previous infections and the limited spread of Omicron into older age groups. The analysis shows that coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in the UK are primarily made up of BQ.1 and its sublineages, consistent with the UKHSA risk assessment published in October. It is critical that anyone with COVID-19 symptoms isolates and gets a PCR test immediately. The vaccination status was unknown for 6 people, while 8 had received a single dose. UKHSA analysis shows that the risk of hospital admission for an identified case with Omicron is reduced compared to a case of Delta. Symptoms of BA.2 appear to largely mirror those of the original version of the omicron variant: an upper respiratory illness that causes sore throat, cough, congestion, headache and fatigue. Covid Omicron symptoms: new variant BQ.1.1, duration, evolution BA.2 has been under close . The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. It is very likely that we will find more cases over the coming days as we are seeing in other countries globally and as we increase case detection through focused contact tracing. Yet fears of another Omicron wave in the United States may be. New Omicron Subvariant Is Spreading in India, U.S. Runny nose/congestion. BA.2, a SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant, Explained - Health The latest version raising alarms is an emerging subvariant of Omicron called BA.2. Two-thirds with Omicron say they had Covid before. In India, BA.2 is rapidly replacing the Delta and Omicron BA.1 variants of Covid, BA.2 was first detected in the Philippines, About half of new cases in Denmark are caused by BA.2, AOC under investigation for Met Gala dress, Mother who killed her five children euthanised, Alex Murdaugh jailed for life for double murder, The children left behind in Cuba's exodus, Zoom boss Greg Tomb fired without cause, US sues Exxon over nooses found at Louisiana plant. Following the change in JCVI advice today, a booster dose for everyone over 18 years is now recommended and will be available at a minimum of 3 months from your last primary course jab. As set out last week, the effectiveness of all vaccines against symptomatic infection continues to be lower in all periods against Omicron compared to Delta. Genome sequencing among the states is not always fair. pic.twitter.com/ESQupxUet4. You will not always know whether someone you come into contact with is at higher risk of becoming seriously ill from respiratory infections, including COVID-19. Dr Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Advisor for UKHSA, said: Ongoing variant analysis is an important part of our pandemic response. It will take only 2 minutes to fill in. Omicron BA.2.75, the variant derived from the BA.2 lineage which was identified internationally earlier this month, has now been categorised as a separate variant and given the designation V-22JUL-01. This assessment is based on analysis of UK data showing increased household transmission risk, increased secondary attack rates (such as the chance of each case infecting another individual) and increased growth rates compared to Delta. However, with the spread of BA.4 and BA.5, that symptom seems to have returned, some doctors note. Data continues to show COVID-19 poses a very low health risk to children and infants. However, a small change may be enough to cause a difference in the virus properties in some circumstances. What Is BA.2, the 'Stealth Omicron' Variant - Stealth Omicron Symptoms Based on the CDC's genomic surveillance, the BA.2 or stealth Omicron subvariant is responsible for most new SARS-CoV-2 infections in the U.S. BA.2 is a subvariant of the original SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant (B.1.1.529), along with BA.1.1 and BA.3. Check benefits and financial support you can get, Find out about the Energy Bills Support Scheme, National flu and COVID-19 surveillance report, higher risk of becoming seriously ill from respiratory infections, including COVID-19, this data should be interpreted with caution, This assessment is based on analysis of UK data, data on Omicron cases is published regularly here, Six cases of the SARS-CoV-2 variant known as B.1.1.529, Investigation of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern: variant risk assessments, Investigation of SARS-CoV-2 variants: technical briefings, Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance for local government, let fresh air in if meeting others indoors, wear a face covering or a face mask, particularly if you are in crowded and enclosed spaces. In the UK, 38 cases of XF have been identified, though none have been seen since mid February. The UK has been hard-hit by a further spike in Covid-19 cases in recent weeks, with infections being driven by a sub-lineage of the Omicron variant known as BA.2 or "Stealth Omicron". Lower back pain. BA.2 Omicron Subvariant Can Damage Your Lungs, Cause - TheHealthSite Runny or congested nose Feeling fatigued Headache New, continuous cough Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing Muscle or body aches New loss of a sense of taste or smell Sore throat Nausea or vomiting Diarrhoea They advise that if you develop one or more of these symptoms you should take a Covid test as soon as possible. The analysis included very small numbers of cases as only a few people in the UK currently have this variant, meaning this data should be interpreted with caution until more cases have been studied. BA.2, also known as "stealth omicron," is considered a subvariant of omicron. Of these, XD and XF are recombinants of Delta and Omicron BA.1, while XE is a recombinant of Omicron BA.1 and BA.2. According to Denmark's Statens Serum Institut (SSI), BA.2 infections rose to account for about half of the country's reported Covid cases in January. It has been designated a "variant under investigation" by British health authorities, meaning they are keeping a close watch on it, but are not overly concerned by it. As of 2 May 2022, 21 confirmed cases of Omicron BA.4 and 19 confirmed cases of Omicron BA.5 have been detected in England. However, the preliminary data showed effectiveness against the new variant appears to increase considerably in the early period after a booster dose, providing around 70% to 75% protection against symptomatic infection. While there is a suggestion that this wanes slightly after 15 weeks, protection in this age group remains high at over 85%. There are insufficient severe cases of Omicronas yetto analyse vaccine effectiveness against hospitalisation, but this is more likely to be sustained, particularly after a booster. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has released a new variant technical briefing detailing updated analysis of epidemiological and genomic data relating to SARS-CoV-2 variants currently circulating in the UK, including the XBB.1.5 variant which has been increasing in the US in recent months. UKHSA is carrying out targeted testing at locations where the positive cases were likely to be infectious. Dr Jenny Harries, Chief Executive of the UK Health Security Agency, said: Viruses mutate often and at random, and it is not unexpected that new variants will continue to arise as the pandemic goes on, particularly while the case rate remains high. A booster dose for everyone over 18 years is now recommended and will be available at a minimum of 3 months from your last primary course jab. What We Know about Omicron's BA.2 Variant So Far