The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Tuesday warned about a sub-variant that is highly transmissible and is heavily mutated Omicron strain of the COVID-19 has now been detected in as many as 57 countries. According to some studies it is said that this Omicron sub-variant could be even more infectious than the original versions of the variant, which has rapidly become the dominant variant worldwide in only 10 weeks from when it was first detected in southern Africa.
Omicron accounting for over 93 per cent of all COVID-19 specimens collected in the past month, counts several sub-lineages: BA.1, BA.1.1, BA.2, and BA.3, explained the WHO in its recent weekly epidemiological update.
The BA.1 and BA.1.1, the very first Omicron sub-variants that were identified, still account for over 96 per cent of all the Omicron sequences uploaded to the GISAID global science initiative. However, there has since then been a clear rise in cases involving the BA.2 sub-variant, which counts several different mutations from the original – including one on the spike protein that dots the virus’s surface and is key to entering human cells.
Adding that in some countries, the sub-variant now accounted for over half of all Omicron sequences collected the WHO said, “BA.2- designated sequences have been submitted to GISAID from 57 countries to date.” However, the WHO agrees that very little is known about the complete extent of differences between all the sub-variants currently, but there are studies that can reveal their characteristics – including transmissibility, immune elusion, and virulency.
Since Omicron was first identified 10 weeks ago, almost 90 million #COVID19 cases have been reported to @WHO. We are now starting to see a very worrying increase in deaths, in most regions of the world. It’s premature for any country either to surrender, or to declare victory. pic.twitter.com/mdFjaiv6sJ
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) February 1, 2022
One of the WHO’s top experts on Covid-19, Maria Van Kerkhove told reporters yesterday that information about the sub-variant was very limited, but that some preliminary data indicated BA.2 had “a slight increase in growth rate over BA.1”. Moreover, there are studies that have shown hints that BA.2 is more infectious than the original Omicron.
Omicron, in general, is known to cause less severe disease than previous coronavirus variants, like Delta, that has wreaked havoc before. So far, there has been “no indication that there is a change in severity” with the BA.2 sub-variant, said Van Kerkhove.
However, she stressed though that regardless of the strain, Covid-19 remained a dangerous disease and people should strive to avoid catching it.
“We need people to be aware that this virus is continuing to circulate and that it is continuing to evolve,” she said. “It’s really important that we take measures to reduce our exposure to this virus, whichever variant is circulating.”
