Omicron BA.2 – UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has classified BA.2 as a “variant under surveillance”. The new variant has been found among 40 countries. It includes the UK, India, Denmark, Sweden, and many more.
Omicron Variant BA.1 is more contagious than delta, beta, and alpha variants. Now, a new subtype omicron BA.2 is has emerged in the UK. It began in early January and is now found in other countries. The impact of the mutation is still under study.
Currently, Denmark currently has 79% of the registered cases followed by the UK at 6%. India follows closely at 5% and Sweden at 3%. The monitoring of this new sequence depends upon a country’s health care system to sequence PCR tests.
The quick spread of this new subtype suggests that it is more contagious than the original omicron variant. Incident Director at UKHSA Meera Chand says “It is the nature of viruses to evolve and mutate, so it’s to be expected that we will continue to see new variants emerge as the pandemic goes on.”
While analysis is on the way, healthcare professionals advise that vaccination is still the best protection available.
Among the mutations, that scientists are looking out for is the possible combination of omicron and delta variants. This could lead deadlier virus. German virologist Christian Drosten stated in an interview. It becomes more dangerous when the variant “carries the spike protein of the Omicron virus to continue to enjoy that immune advantage, but has the rest of the genome of the delta virus.”