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THE WORLD Health Organization (WHO) reported the presence of a new version of the Omicron variant known as BA.2 with some differences in several mutations including the spike protein. The BA.2 version which is technically a derivative of the Omicron variant (BA.1), as quoted from Health, is the variant being investigated.
According to the Statens Serum Institute, a Danish government research institute, BA.2 has some genetic differences compared to BA.1 in the most important areas, but the significance of the mutation has not been seen.
The Health Authority in England (UKHSA) said, after Denmark, the order of the most BA.2 cases was in India, Sweden and Singapore.
This sub-variant has also been detected in the United States. According to a recent report from the Washington Post, at least three cases of BA.2 have been reported at Houston Methodist Hospital, Texas; and two cases were found in Washington state.
Some scientists have given BA.2 the nickname Omicron stealth because it has certain genetic traits that make it more difficult to identify as Omicron in diagnostic tests, especially PCR tests.
But that doesn’t mean the virus went undetected, just that it’s harder to classify as an Omicron, says John Sellick, DO, epidemiologist and professor of medicine at the University at Buffalo/SUNY.
Then, is BA.2 something to worry about? In a statement to the Washington Post, a spokesman for the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said there is currently no data to suggest this variant is more contagious than the original virus.
In addition, the initial study conducted by SSI showed no difference in the rates of hospitalization due to BA.2 compared to BA.1.
While further research needs to be done on how this version of Omicron differs in the transmissibility and efficiency of the vaccine, the institute hopes the vaccine could also have an effect on severe disease due to BA.2 infection. [antaranews/photo special]
