A new sub-strain of a novel coronavirus Omicron variant has spread rapidly around the world and has emerged as the latest challenge to tame Covid-19. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the BA.2 substrain has been detected in at least 57 countries. A leading healthcare expert says people need to be cautious.

Meanwhile, Dr Wen said Omicron will not be the last variant of the coronavirus.

“Almost certainly not. New variants are emerging all the time, because that’s what viruses do: they mutate as they replicate,” she said, adding: “That’s why real-time monitoring is so important, and that’s why vaccination is the key reason.”

How transmissible is BA.2?

According to available data from governments, especially in hardest-hit Europe, the BA.2 substrain has made progress in recent months. In Denmark, for example, people infected with BA.2 transmitted the virus to an average of 39% of susceptible family members, compared with 29% for the original omicron variant. This is in line with preliminary data from the UK.

But is BA.2 more dangerous than previous strains?

Not according to the World Health Organization. Based on evidence from Denmark, the World Health Organization said this week that BA.2 did not appear to be more severe than the original Omicron variant, and that its spread did not lead to an unexpected spike in hospitalizations.

This is also reflected in the changes recently announced by the Danish government when Covid-19 restrictions ended. The Danish government says the disease is no longer a threat to society, even as cases hit a record high.

Is the vaccine effective against the BA.2 subvariant?

The latest data from Europe suggest that the existing vaccine is as effective against BA.2 as against the previous subvariant. Although BA.2 is more contagious, the vaccine blocked 13% of cases 25 weeks after a second dose of the vaccine, a British study showed.

Two weeks after the booster dose, that number increased to 70 percent.

Difference between BA.2 and BA.1

BA.2 has 40 different mutations compared to the original substrain, including key alterations in the spike region, the researchers said.

While the two are related, there are enough differences to drive behavioral change. The milder form of most Omicron cases in vaccinated populations may leave those who recover remain vulnerable to existing viruses and future variants, the researchers said.

They further stated that BA.2 will prolong the Covid-19 wave dominated by Omicron. A likely slower decline in cases could lead to higher hospitalizations and pose problems for countries with low vaccination rates.

It will “create longer tails of the Omicron loop,” says computational biologist Trevor Bedford, who works at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

Complete News Source : Hindustan Times