Researchers are slowly uncovering clues about the strain, which is a descendant omicronknown by BA.2, while watching it grow in prevalence.
“We all keep an eye on BA.2 because it has done particularly good in certain parts of the globe,” said Dr. Wesley Long of Houston Methodist, Texas.
A technical advisory group from the World Health Organization advised that public health officials monitor it as an omicron strain.
Early research has shown that it spreads quicker than the original Omicron. In rare cases, it can even infect people who have already been infected with Omicron. Although there is mixed evidence on whether it causes more severe diseases, vaccines seem just as effective.
The overall number of cases is falling in areas where the variant is more common, which offers some hope that cases won’t skyrocket again as experts attempt to discover more.
SPREAD WORLDWIDE
BA.2 can be found in over 80 countries as well as all 50 U.S. States.
A recently released report by the WHO stated that BA.2 was dominant across 18 countries. It represented approximately 36% of sequenced Omicron cases submitted to an international public database, where scientists share their coronavirus data. This is an increase of 19% from two weeks ago.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 4% of COVID patients in the United States were caused by BA.2 during the week ending February 19, 2012. This percentage was lower in certain regions than in others, and reached 7% in New England.
WHAT IS KNOWN
BA.2 is full of mutations. Because it doesn’t have a genetic quirk that allowed health officials quickly distinguish it from delta, it has been called “stealth”. The test can detect BA.2 infections, but it does not look like a Delta infection.
Initial research indicates that BA.2 is 30% more contagious than the original micron.
Vaccines are effective in protecting people against getting sick. Scientists from the United Kingdom discovered that vaccines offer the same protection against both types of micron.
Early studies by WHO suggest that a bout with the original micron may also provide “strong protection” against re-infection with BA.2.
New research from Denmark suggests that BA.2 can be obtained after infection with the original omicron virus strain. The study authors found that 187 reinfections occurred within 48 hours of the original strain. This was mostly in young people who were not vaccinated and had mild diseases. These reinfections are very rare, but they do happen. Similar to other early studies on BA.2, it has been published online, but was not reviewed by independent scientists.
IS BA.2 HEALTHY?
Based on experiments with hamsters, a Japanese laboratory study suggests it could. Research concluded that global health risks from BA.2 were potentially greater and suggested that the Japanese lab study be given a Greek letter. This is a designation for globally important “variants of concern.” WHO’s technical committee recommended that BA.2 remain under the omicron umbrella.
Although the severity experiments were done in animals, Dr. Eric Topol from Scripps Research Translational Institute said that the study was “not something you should discount”. “We need to keep our eyes open and continue to evaluate this.”
Scientists are discovering something new when they examine people. Initial Danish analysis showed that hospitalizations for BA.2 were not different from those for the original omicron variant, which is more likely to cause milder diseases than the delta variant. Researchers in South Africa have found similar results: an identical risk of severe illness and hospitalization with the original Omicron variant and the BA.
Long stated, “We have to always interpret studies in animals carefully.” “I put more weight into studies of actual patients and their experiences.”
WHAT IMPACT WILL BA.2 HAVE ON THE PANDEMIC
Nobody knows the future.
Globally, COVID-19 cases are declining, even in places where BA.2 is common.
Louis Mansky, Director of the Institute for Molecular Virology (University of Minnesota), stated that “the timing of the upswings or downswings of cases remains unclear.”
Researchers are unable to predict the impact of BA.2 on caseloads as it spreads in communities that have different levels of immunity from prior infections and vaccines. Experts believe that BA.2 will not cause new surges, but it may slow down COVID declines in certain areas.
Officials from WHO stress that the pandemic continues and encourage countries to be vigilant.
Doctors advised that patients do the same. They also recommended that boosters and vaccines be used to protect against the most severe effects of COVID-19.
“Please boost people who haven’t been vaccinated. Long stated that it is never too late to get vaccinated for people who have not been vaccinated. The vaccine is your best defense against COVID.
