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. 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.2.75.2 variant is worrying experts. Here's why - Deseret News The breakdown of cases by local authority is: The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has identified 9 further cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) with mutations consistent with B.1.1.529 in England, in addition to the previous 13 confirmed cases of the SARS-CoV-2 variant known as B.1.1.529. The risk assessment conducted by UKHSA together with academic partners found that CH.1.1 and XBB.1.5 are currently the variants most likely to take over from BQ.1 as the next dominant variant in the UK, unless further novel variants arise. This analysis shows you are up to 8 times more likely to end up in hospital as a result of COVID-19 if you are unvaccinated. UKHSA has also published a breakdown of confirmed Omicron cases and SGTF cases by local authority. Delta remains the predominant variantin England, accounting for over 99% of all COVID-19 cases. They also say that Omicron symptoms are typically mild, and herd immunity is at . 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. Our continued genomic surveillance allows us to further investigate variants that are growing within the UK. Overall, the original Omicron lineage, BA.1, is dominant in the UK and the proportion of BA.2 cases is currently low. So far, vaccination means that the rise in cases is not translating to a rise in severe illness and deaths. The five key Omicron symptoms. However, increases in SGTF can give a useful early indication of variant spread. Case rates remain high throughout the UK and we must remain vigilant and take up vaccinations. 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. The team at ZOE, a study that tracks symptoms . There will be no other categorisation of variants, including no variant under investigation (VUI) category. Where individuals are identified as being a possible or probable case, their close contacts will be contacted and advised to isolate for 10 days and to take a test. A second BTN162b2 booster was previously found to be 52% and 72% effective in preventing Omicron BA.1 infection and hospitalization, respectively, in adults 60 years. Since the middle of February, this growth rate has settled at approximately 75% higher than other circulating Omicron lineages in England. As with other kinds of variant, most will die off relatively quickly. Effectiveness of first and second COVID19 mRNA vaccine monovalent It showed that the AstraZeneca and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines provided much lower levels of protection against symptomatic infection compared to the protection that they provide against Delta. Aside from all of the usual COVID symptoms, like a dry cough, a scratchy throat, fatigue, and muscle aches, the Stealth variant is thought to cause a few other distinct issues. However, cases of the variant continue to rise at an extraordinary rate already surpassing the record daily number in the pandemic. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published analyses of Omicron sub-lineage BA.2. 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. The BA.2 variant is a sibling of the BA.1, which swept across the country over Christmas. Omicron Subvariant - BA.2.75 | Narayana Health We have now identified cases in the East Midlands, East of England, London and North West. Covid: Rise in UK infections driven by BA.2 Omicron variant 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. BA.2 infections in Germany are also growing faster than BA.1 and Delta, according to Dr Meera Chand, Covid-19 director at the UKHSA. SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant - Wikipedia Anyone who is contacted because of a link to a probable or possible Omicron case will be asked to take a PCR test, even if they have received a positive COVID-19PCRtestwithin the last 90 days. This particular recombinant, XE, has shown a variable growth rate and we cannot yet confirm whether it has a true growth advantage. You have accepted additional cookies. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has released variant technical briefing 41. And in England, more than 1,000 confirmed cases of BA.2 have been identified, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). As of 24 January 2022, 1,072 genomically confirmed cases of BA.2 have been identified in England and all assessments remain preliminary whilst case numbers are relatively low. The designation was made on the basis that this sub-lineage has become increasingly common in the UK in recent months, and there is some early evidence that it may have an increased growth rate in the UK compared to Delta. This includes analysing live samples of the new variant in our laboratories to investigate properties such as response to current vaccines. The total number of confirmed cases in England is now 22. UKHSA will continue to monitor the situation closely as a matter of routine, as we do all data relating to SARS-CoV-2 variants both in the UK and internationally. As always, the booster vaccine remains the best protection against infection. This will include analysing live samples of the new variant in our laboratories to investigate properties such as response to current vaccines. In the UK, 38 cases of XF have been identified, though none have been seen since mid February. We have now identified cases in the East Midlands, East of England, London, North East, North West, South East, South West and West Midlands. What We Know about Omicron's BA.2 Variant So Far To date, there have been 426 cases of Omicron BA.2 confirmed by Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS), with the earliest dated 6 December 2021. However, any stay in hospital for a child is too long if youre a parent and its important we all take precautions to avoid the spread of infection. #India is another country where #SARS_CoV_2 BA.2 is rapidly replacing #Delta & #Omicron BA.1. Trends in SGTF over and time are however affected by the coverage of laboratories contributing to this surveillance data. Omicron BA2 symptoms include taste loss. So far, there is insufficient evidence to determine whether BA.2 causes more severe illness than Omicron BA.1, but data is limited and UKHSA continues to investigate. The data so far suggests an increase in overall reinfection rates, alongside an increase in first infections. Hospital admissions are increasing, and we cannot risk the NHS being overwhelmed. New studies are being undertaken to assess this further. One study has suggested that it may be difficult to identify this variant . As is routine for any new variants under investigation, UKHSAis carrying out laboratory and epidemiological investigations to better understand the properties of this variant. According to the COVID Symptom Study, the five most common symptoms are the same: Runny nose, headache, fatigue, sneezing and sore throat. Apart from dizziness and fatigue, some other signs of BA.2 Omicron Variants include: Fever and body aches Loss of taste Nausea or Vomiting Abdominal pain Fever Extreme fatigue Coughing Sore throat Muscular fatigue Elevated heart rate Breathless in severe cases readmore End of Story Inthe SIREN study, a large cohort of healthcare workers are tested regularly by PCR to detect asymptomatic infection in addition to normal testing practices for symptomatic infection. While specific symptoms to BA.2 are not yet available, the NHS lists the main symptoms for Covid-19 as: a high temperature a new, continuous cough a. Runny nose/congestion. This new UKHSA data on Omicron is promising while 2 doses of the vaccine arent enough, we know boosters offer significant protection against the variant and early evidence suggests this strain may be less severe than Delta. ; The incubation time (time to onset of symptoms) is a bit shorter: 3 days. However, one must note, these are only early stage symptoms. 2023 BBC. As is routine for any new variants under investigation,UKHSAis carrying out laboratory and epidemiological investigations to better understand the characteristics of this variant. Stealth BA.2 Omicron Variant Can Reinfect People Who Had BA - Newsweek Scientists in the UK and abroad are closely monitoring BA.2, a sub-variant of Omicron. Twoto4 weeks after a booster dose, vaccine effectiveness ranged from around 65 to 75%, dropping to 55 to 70% at 5 to 9 weeks and 40 to 50% from 10+ weeks after the booster. One case is located in Camden, London, and one case is located in Wandsworth, London. Please wear face coverings in line with government guidance, let in fresh air when mixing indoors and wash your hands regularly. It is critical that anyone with COVID-19 symptoms isolates and gets a PCR test immediately. Those aged 18 to 39 should wait to be called. Wear a mask in crowded spaces and, when meeting people indoors, open windows and doors to ventilate the room. The latest number of COVID-19 cases with mutations consistent with B.1.1.529 in England are published on UKHSAs social media channels. UKHSA has also this week published further vaccine effectiveness data against hospitalisation following a booster dose. UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published variant technical briefing 24. In severe cases, the SpO2 Level may also decrease. None of the cases to date is known to have been hospitalised or died. Neither have currently been designated as variants of concern. These are some of the symptoms that you should be looking out for: High temperature. Omicron BA.2: The 'stealth' variant could cause more 'severe' disease Our exceptional vaccine rollout means the number of people severely affected by COVID-19 is low, and the UKs innovation and research has discovered life-saving treatments for those most at risk from COVID-19. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published its latest COVID-19 variant technical briefing. Yet fears of another Omicron wave in the United States may be. Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said: This data is yet more evidence that vaccines remain our best line of defence against COVID-19. What are the symptoms of BA.2? As of 20 October, there were 15,120 cases of VUI-21OCT-01 confirmed by whole genome sequences in England since it was first detected in July. SUMMARY : The basics of the Omicron sub-variant, the BA.5, which is currently the majority in France: BA.5 is more contagious than BA.2 (January wave), which was itself more contagious than BA.1 and even more than Delta (variant 2021). BA.2 is found to be able to alarmingly reinfect patients originally infected by Omicron BA.1. Our data shows that getting the booster vaccine is more effective against this variant than 2 doses alone. The worst symptom is a "throat on fire," said University of California, San Francisco's Dr. Peter Chin-Hong. Work is underway to identify any links to travel. UKHSA has updated its stay at home guidance and non-household contacts guidance to reflect changes to self-isolation requirements for contacts of people who have been identified as a suspected or confirmed case of the Omicron variant of COVID-19. As of May 2022, BA.2.12.1 was spreading in the US and two new subvariants of Omicron named BA.4 and BA.5, first detected in January 2022, spread in South Africa. These early findings should be interpreted with caution as transmission data and dynamics can fluctuate, meaning that early findings can change quickly when new variants are identified. Fatigue. It is therefore absolutely critical that we all do everything that we can to help break the chains of transmission and slow the spread of this new variant. The original Delta variant remains overwhelmingly dominant in the UK, making up approximately 99.8% of all cases.