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In some countries, BA.2 accounts for more than half of sequenced Omicron cases, it adds. It is the best defence we have against this highly transmissible new variant. Neutralisation studies are currently being undertaken at the University of Oxford. New Omicron Subvariant Is Spreading in India, U.S. More detail will be available in UKHSAs regular variant technical briefings. BA.2, also known as "stealth omicron," is considered a subvariant of omicron. One dose of any vaccine was associated with a 35% reduced risk of hospitalisation among symptomatic cases with the Omicron variant, 2 doses with a 67% reduction up to 24 weeks after the seconddose and a 51% reduced risk 25 or more weeks after the seconddose. According to the CDC, the Omicron variant spreads more easily than the original SARS-CoV-2 virus and the Delta variant. Other countries that have uploaded more than 100 samples are India (530), Sweden (181), and Singapore (127). Thats why its critical that anyone with COVID-19 symptoms isolates and gets a PCR test immediately.. Dr Jenny Harries, UKHSA Chief Executive, said: Our latest analysis shows an encouraging early signal that people who contract the Omicron variant may be at a relatively lower risk of hospitalisation than those who contract other variants. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has released variant technical briefing 50. You can change your cookie settings at any time. Studies have already shown that this virus travels to different parts of the body, therefore gut-related issues are. What is the stealth omicron, or BA.2, variant? UKHSAs latest National flu and COVID-19 surveillance report indicates that the increase in COVID-19 case rates and hospitalisations continues to show signs of slowing. There have been recent reports of people who experience symptoms like those of viral meningitis, an inflammation of the brain and spinal cord membranes. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has identified 2 further cases of COVID-19 with mutations consistent with B.1.1.529 in England, in addition to the previous 3 confirmed cases of the SARS-CoV-2 variant known as B.1.1.529 on 27 and 28 November. This data shows that protection against severe illness from COVID-19 remains at over 90% in those aged 65 and over up to 14 weeks after a booster dose. BA.1 accounts for most of the cases. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published analyses of Omicron sub-lineage BA.2. As is routine for any new variants under investigation, UKHSAis carrying out laboratory and epidemiological investigations to better understand the properties of this variant. What are the different symptoms doctors are seeing with omicron BA.2 Early data shows that young children who are hospitalised experience mild illness and are discharged after short stays in hospital. 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. We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services. BA.2 Symptoms, Protection and More: What We Know as Omicron Subvariant Although hospitalisations and deaths remain low, cases are still high in some areas and some age groups so its important that we continue to act cautiously as restrictions are lifted. Those are pretty similar to what people experience with a cold or other seasonal viruses. The pace of sharing sequences by India is very slow, median days from collection to deposition is 69 days according to GISAID. There is currently no data on the severity of BA.2. In this analysis, the risk of hospitalisation is lower for Omicron cases with symptomatic or asymptomatic infection after 2 and 3 doses of vaccine, with an 81% (95% confidence interval 77 to 85%) reduction in the risk of hospitalisation after 3 doses compared to unvaccinated Omicron cases. Any variants showing evidence of spread are rapidly assessed. This is not an unusual occurrence and several recombinant SARS-CoV-2 variants have been identified over the course of the pandemic. Omicron continues to grow faster than Delta, with an increased risk of transmission, particularly in contacts outside of the household. We should all continue to test regularly with LFDs [lateral flow devices] and take a PCR [polymerase chain reaction] test if symptoms develop.". Professor Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Advisor, UKHSA said: Recombinant variants are not an unusual occurrence, particularly when there are several variants in circulation, and several have been identified over the course of the pandemic to date. BA.2 omicron symptoms list as variant spreads in US - Fast Company Dr Meera Chand, Director of Clinical and Emerging Infections at UKHSA, said: The reclassification of these variants as variants of concern reflects emerging evidence on the growth of BA.4 and BA.5 internationally and in the UK. Two-thirds with Omicron say they had Covid before. A preliminary assessment did not find evidence of a difference in vaccine effectiveness against symptomatic disease for BA.2 compared to BA.1. This analysis found that the risk of presentation to emergency care or hospital admission with Omicron (testing for symptomatic or asymptomatic infection) was approximately half of that for Delta, while the risk of hospital admission alone with Omicron was approximately one-third of that for Delta. UKHSA is monitoring this closely. None of these cases are known to have been hospitalised or died. Omicron BA.2 Variant Severity 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. So far there is not enough evidence to draw conclusions about transmissibility, severity or vaccine effectiveness. People infected with Omicron are also less likely to experience fever or loss of taste and smell. Updated analysisshows theadditional incremental benefit from each vaccine exposureincluding for boosters, even in those who have had prior infection. While there is a suggestion that this wanes slightly after 15 weeks, protection in this age group remains high at over 85%. ROCHESTER, Minn. The World Health Organization designated COVID-19 variant B.1.1.529, named omicron, a "variant of concern" on Nov. 26, 2021, and the first confirmed case in the U.S. was on Dec. 1, 2021. 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. The BA.2 subvariant of the COVID-19 virus is now the dominant coronavirus strain in the world, and while health officials are saying the subvariant acts like the original omicron version of the . In the UK, 38 cases of XF have been identified, though none have been seen since mid February. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published variant technical briefing 37. As we learn to live safely with COVID-19, there are actions we can all take to help reduce the risk of catching COVID-19 and passing it on to others. The latest UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) COVID-19 variant technical briefing, published today, includes updated epidemiological analysis which indicates that Omicron BA.5 has, as expected, become the dominant SARS-CoV-2 variant in the UK. Vaccination is critical to help us bolster our defences against becoming severely ill from this new variant please get your first, second, third or booster jab without delay. BA.2 omicron symptoms According to the CDC, the symptoms of Covid-19, including BA.2, are: Fever or chills Cough Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing Fatigue Muscle or body. XD has not been identified in the UK to date, though 49 cases have been reported to global databases, the majority of these are in France. 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. 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. 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 vaccination status was unknown for 6 people, while 8 had received a single dose. What are the symptoms of BA.2? Analysis shows that protection against symptomatic disease 2 to 4 weeks after a booster dose ranges from around 65% to 75%, dropping to 55% to 65% at 5 to 9 weeks and 45% to 50% 10 weeks or more following the booster dose. Thanks to the expertise of scientists at UKHSA and partner organisations, were able to respond quickly to new variations of the virus. UKHSA is monitoring the situation closely, in partnership with scientific and public health organisations across the world. We have now identified cases in the East Midlands, East of England, London, South East and North West. This will include analysing live samples of the new variant in our laboratories to investigate properties such as response to current vaccines. Studiesof households and contactshave found that there is a higher risk of transmission to contacts from an Omicron case, when compared to Delta. Overall numbers of ICU admissions have decreased over time, but where data was available admissions with Omicron have increased from 9% to more than 50% in the most recent week. If you develop any symptoms, isolate immediately and get a PCR test. The areas with the largest number of confirmed cases are London (146) and the South East (97). Prior infection is 44% effective at preventing future infection, increasing to 71% with 3 doses of the vaccine. This matches a recent study led by Oxford University and the Office for National Statistics (ONS), using data from the COVID-19 Infection Survey produced by the latter. 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. However, it remains too early to draw any definitive conclusions on hospital severity, and the increased transmissibility of Omicron and the rising cases in the over 60s population in England means it remains highly likely that there will be significant pressure on the NHS in coming weeks. Data continues to show COVID-19 poses a very low health risk to children and infants. Protection against hospitalisation from vaccines is good against the Omicron variant. 2023 BBC. A number of Omicron variants are currently circulating in England, many of which have acquired mutations which may produce a degree of immune escape. Increased case detection through focused contact tracing has led to more cases of the Omicron variant being identified and confirmed, as we have seen in other countries globally. Our data also show that 17.5 per cent of people aged 75 years and over have not had a vaccine within the past six months, putting them more at risk of severe disease. BA.2.75.2 Variant: What We Know About 'Centaurus,' Vaccines | Time "We must remain vigilant and take up vaccinations. According to Boden-Albala said, those symptoms may include the following: Fever Chills Fatigue Cough Body aches Shortness of breath Sore throat Additionally, some people may report upper. UKHSA is carrying out targeted testing at locations where the positive cases were likely to be infectious. It is therefore vital that people continue to exercise caution in order to limit the transmission of the virus. The v SGTF is not a 100% accurate test for Omicron and results are regularly evaluated against sequencing to ensure they are interpreted correctly. Since the middle of February, this growth rate has settled at approximately 75% higher than other circulating Omicron lineages in England. Following the change in Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advice yesterday, a booster dose for everyone over 18 years is now recommended at a minimum of 3 months from your last primary course jab. Now more countries, particularly in Asia and Europe, are reporting an increase in cases driven by BA.2. Of 5,153 individuals identified with an Omicron infection between 1 November and 11 December 2021, 305 were linked to a previous confirmed infection and had an interval from the previous positive test of 90 days or more. How are Covid rules changing across UK schools? And in England, more than 1,000 confirmed cases of BA.2 have been identified, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). So far, vaccination means that the rise in cases is not translating to a rise in severe illness and deaths. Working alongside Cambridge University MRC Biostatistics unit, UKHSA analysed 528,176 Omicron cases and 573,012 Delta cases between 22 November and 26 December to assess the risk of hospitalisation in England after testing positive for Omicron. These are potentially biologically significant mutations which may change the behaviour of the virus with regards to vaccines, treatments and transmissibility. 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. UKHSAis acting to get scientific information available as quickly as possible in order to inform the right balance of interventions to prevent transmission and protect lives. What experts know about COVID-19 omicron subvariant BA.2 The data suggests this risk is significantly reduced following a booster vaccine, so I urge everyone to take up their booster when eligible. BA.2 has been under close . So, like the original omicron strain (BA.1), the primary symptoms of a mild BA.2 infection are a cough, fever, fatigue and possible loss of taste or smell. Data for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is not included in the UKHSA Technical Briefing. While on one hand, this statement gives a ray of hope that BA.2 sub variant of Omicron which was thought to be severe is mild as the BA.1 subvariant is, but on the other hand with the report of . Omicron BA.2 (B.1.1.529.2): high potential to becoming the next UKHSA Chief Medical Advisor, Dr Susan Hopkins said: It is increasingly evident that Omicron is highly infectious and there is emerging laboratory and early clinical evidence to suggest that both vaccine-acquired and naturally acquired immunity against infection is reduced for this variant.