Omicron ‘sub-variant’: hundreds of cases in the UK; Could spread faster, data shows

The early Omicron variant has become the dominant virus strain in recent months, but British health officials have specifically identified hundreds of cases of the latest variant, called BA.2, while international data suggest it may have spread relatively quickly. .

The UK Health Protection Agency (UKHSA) identified more than 400 cases in the UK in the first ten days of this month and indicated that the latest version has been detected in some 40 other countries, with the majority of the most recent cases in some countries. Are included. India, Denmark and Sweden.

The UKHSA indicated on Friday that it had designated the Ba.2 sub-lineage as a variant under investigation (VUI) as cases were increasing, even though in the UK, the Ba.1 lineage currently remains dominant. Is.

The authority underscored that “there is still uncertainty about the significance of changes in the viral genome,” which requires monitoring, in parallel, with cases in recent times in India and an uptick in BA.2 incidences in Demark. increase was observed.

French epidemiologist Antoine Flehault told AFP: “We were surprised that this sub-variant, which is spreading largely in Asia, has taken hold in Denmark.”

Scientists must evaluate how the virus causing the worst global health crisis in a century is evolving and mutating. Its latest incarnation does not have the specific mutation used to track and compare BA.1 against Delta, which was the predominant strain.

BA.2 still has to be designated a sort of concern – but Flahault says countries will have to be vigilant to the latest developments as scientists are increasing surveillance.

“(France) expected a spike in contamination in mid-January: this did not happen and it is probably due to this sub-version, which appears to be much more contagious but not more virulent than BA.1”.

France’s public health agency said on Friday, “What interests us if it (the sub-variant) possesses different characteristics” from BA.1 in terms of infectivity and severity.

To date, only a handful of BA.2 cases have been reported in France – but the country is monitoring developments as they spread across the channel.

“comparable severity”

Flahault, director of the University of Geneva’s Institute of Global Health, says the watchword is not panic, but “alert” because “for now we have the assumption that (ba.2 case) severity” is on par with the classic variant Omicron cases. .

“But there are many questions on the table” and the need to monitor the properties of the new version on the block.

“Very early observations from India and Denmark suggest no dramatic difference in severity compared to BA.1,” tweeted Tom Peacock, a virologist at Imperial College, London. Adding the latest version should not call into question the effectiveness of existing vaccines.

Peacock stressed that “we currently have no strong control over … how much higher transmittance may be BA.2 than BA.1. However, we can make some guesses/preliminary observations.”

He said that “there is likely to be minimal difference in the effectiveness of vaccines against BA.1 and BA.2. Personally, I’m not sure that BA.2 is going to have a substantial impact on the current omicron wave of the pandemic.”

“Many countries are near, or even further from the peak of BA.1 waves. I would be very surprised if BA.2 causes a second wave at this point. Even slightly higher With transmittance this is not exactly a delta-omicron change and is instead likely to be slower and more subtle,” he predicted.

French Health Minister Olivier Veran said on Thursday that BA.2 did not look like it would prove to be a game-changer as variants appear on the scene “fairly regular”. But he indicated that he would reserve the decision.

“What we know for now is that (BA.2) more or less corresponds to the characteristics we know about Omicron” mark one.

This story has been published without modification in text from a wire agency feed. Only the title has been changed.