A NEW Covid-19 Omicron sub-variant is spreading across Ireland and is the most infectious strain yet. The best way that you can protect yourself is to come forward for your first 2 doses of vaccine, or your booster jab and do everything you can to stop onward transmission of the infection. As the coronavirus continues to evolve, a new highly contagious Omicron variant is appearing in India and other nations, including the United States, experts say.. BA2 Variant is overtaking Delta and Omicron Cases at rapid speed. Hospital admissions are increasing, and we cannot risk the NHS being overwhelmed. Genome sequencing among the states is not always fair. pic.twitter.com/ESQupxUet4. As of May 2022, BA.2.12.1 was spreading in the US and two new subvariants of Omicron named BA.4 and BA.5, first detected in January 2022, spread in South Africa. AstraZeneca was the main vaccine used early in the programme in care homes and among those in clinical risk groups. A further 3 cases have been identified in Scotland, bringing the total to 13. BA.2 has been under close . Protection against hospitalisation from vaccines is good against the Omicron variant. Everyone should complete a primary course as soon as possible for most this will be a first and second dose. They could be strangers (for example people you sit next to on public transport) or people you may have regular contact with (for example friends and work colleagues). Experts say BA.2 has extensive mutations and is about 40 percent more infectious than the original Omicron variant. For some more vulnerable a third dose is available. Updated Jan. 27, 2023 The omicron subvariant of COVID-19, BA.5, became one of the dominant strains of the virus in the fall of 2022 in the U.S. At that time, it was the most easily spread strain to date and is able to evade immunity from COVID infection and vaccination. At the moment there is much that is not yet clear. Twoto4 weeks after a booster dose, vaccine effectiveness ranged from around 65 to 75%, dropping to 55 to 70% at 5 to 9 weeks and 40 to 50% from 10+ weeks after the booster. Taste Lost is one of the Omicron BA2 Symptoms. This assessment is based on analysis of UK data showing increased household transmission risk, increased secondary attack rates (such as the chance of each case infecting another individual) and increased growth rates compared to Delta. None of the cases to date is known to have been hospitalised or died. The worst symptom is a "throat on fire," said University of California, San Francisco's Dr. Peter Chin-Hong. The total number of confirmed cases in England is now 5. 1 case has been identified in Wales. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), nearly 99% of viral DNA submitted to the global GISAID database as of 25 January were identified as this sub-variant. #India is another country where #SARS_CoV_2 BA.2 is rapidly replacing #Delta & #Omicron BA.1. Omicron sublineages BQ.1 and XBB have been given UKHSA variant designations to facilitate continued studies. Wear a mask in crowded places, including public transport and shops, to ensure we all help break the chains of transmission and slow the spread of this new variant. The individuals who have tested positive and their contacts are all isolating. Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Advisor at UKHSA, said: This latest set of analysis once again demonstrates that a booster dose of the vaccine provides you with significant protection against hospitalisation from Omicron. The study also showed evidence to suggest that the BA.2 sub-variant is better able to evade vaccines. Omicron BA.4 and Omicron BA.5 were designated as variants of concern on 18 May on the basis of an apparent growth advantage over the previously-dominant Omicron BA.2 variant. Previous updates were published by Public Health England. Well send you a link to a feedback form. The Philippines' Department of Health (DOH) said the BA.2 sub-lineage was already prevalent in samples it received at the end of January. Please make sure to wear a mask in line with government guidance, including on public transport and in shops, to help break the chains of transmission and slow the spread of this new variant. More investigation is required to fully determine the extent of these mutations impact. As of January 10 2022, 53 sequences of the BA.2 sub-lineage of Omicron had been identified in the United Kingdom. Dr Meera Chand, UKHSA Director of Clinical an Emerging Infection, said: We continue to monitor the emergence of new variants and give them variant designations if they are sufficiently distinct to warrant separate epidemiological and laboratory assessment. What is the stealth omicron, or BA.2, variant? Consider wearing a face covering when in crowded places. Those aged 18 to 39 should wait to be called. There are thought to be subtle differences in the symptoms that BA. Since then, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has classified two subvariants, BA.1.1 and BA.2. BA.1 accounts for most of the cases. Apart from dizziness and fatigue, some other signs of BA.2 Omicron Variants include: Fever and body aches Loss of taste Nausea or Vomiting Abdominal pain Fever Extreme fatigue Coughing Sore throat Muscular fatigue Elevated heart rate Breathless in severe cases readmore End of Story Work is underway to identify any links to travel to Southern Africa. The guidance on vaccination is changing to help all of us bolster our defences in the face of this new variant. There are also hybrid strains, such as XE, which is a combination of BA.1 and BA.2 By Alex Finnis ; BA.5 sometimes gives rise to more marked symptomssometimes with digestive symptoms . UKHSA has also released a variant risk assessment for Omicron BA.4 and BA.5, summarising the emerging epidemiology and laboratory evidence. Please take up this offer as soon as you are eligible to protect yourself, your families and your communities. The majority of these cases are located in London and the South East. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is reminding people to ensure their COVID-19 vaccinations are up to date and to continue following COVID-safe behaviours, as latest technical data indicates BA.4 and BA.5 have become dominant in the UK and are driving the recent increase in infections. Over 40% of hospital admissions were in London. The individuals and their households have been told to self-isolate. Whilst there are insufficient data to quantify either vaccine effectiveness or risk of reinfection in the UK exactly, the observed growth, case distribution and early analyses in both South Africa and the UK are consistent with some loss of immune protection against infection. None of these cases are known to have been hospitalised or died. The technical briefing also includes early analysis of vaccine effectiveness against the Omicron variant compared to Delta. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. These include a high temperature, a new. Runny nose. UKHSA, in partnership with scientific bodies across the globe, is constantly monitoring the status of SARS-CoV-2 variants as they emerge and develop worldwide. BA.2 continues to demonstrate a substantial growth advantage. We use some essential cookies to make this website work. Currently there are 18 UK samples in GISAID, out of a global total of 1,086; 639 samples have been uploaded from Singapore, and it is thought that XBB may be a factor in the recent spike in cases there. Work from home if you are able to, wear a mask indoors around other people, and ventilate indoor spaces well. For the first time, this data includes analysis on vaccine effectiveness 15+ weeks after the booster dose. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has released variant technical briefing 50. As of 17 May, 115 cases of BA.4 and 80 cases of BA.5 have been confirmed in England and the latest UKHSA variant technical briefing has been published today. There is now high confidence that the Omicron variant causes low severity of disease in adults. It is the best defence we have against this highly transmissible new variant. It has since swept the globe, eventually vanquishing other variants including delta. Data continues to show COVID-19 poses a very low health risk to children and infants. The latest Omicron SARS-CoV-2 subvariant, which scientists have labeled BA.2.12.1, is on track to become the most virulent strain in the United States currently. The v Download the data.xlsx. We have now identified cases in the East Midlands, East of England, London and North West. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published a new variant technical briefing describing ongoing work on the Omicron variant. Two-thirds with Omicron say they had Covid before. The Omicron variant sub-lineage known as BA.2 has been designated a variant under investigation ( VUI-22JAN-01) by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). A further 16 cases have been identified in Scotland, bringing the total in Scotland to 29. Dr Jenny Harries, Chief Executive of UKHSA, said: We are continuing our efforts to understand the effect of this variant on transmissibility, severe disease, mortality, antibody response and vaccine efficacy. Dr Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Adviser at UKHSA, said: Hospitalisations always lag a few weeks behind infections, therefore it isnt surprising that we have started to see people being admitted to hospital with the Omicron variant. UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published variant technical briefing 24. Omicron has a deletion atposition69/70of the spike proteinwhich allows it to be tracked through S gene target failure(SGTF)in some PCR tests. March 31, 2022. These changes will take effect as of 1 April 2022 and will be reflected in full in future technical briefings. 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. There are differences in the populations that have received different vaccines. The most important thing everyone can do now is to get any vaccine dose that you are eligible for it is by far the most effective action you can take to protect yourself, your families and your communities. BA.3 shares most of its mutations with BA.1 and BA.2 except for one. Analysis from routine contact tracing data indicates that transmission is likely to be higher among contacts of BA.2 cases in households (13.4%) than those for contacts of other Omicron cases(10.3%) in the period 27 December 2021 to 11 January 2022. Studies of contacts show that Omicron is transmitting more effectively than Delta. UKHSAs latest analysis suggests that Omicron BA.5 is growing 35.1% faster than Omicron BA.2, while Omicron BA.4 is growing approximately 19.1% faster. As viruses mutate often and at random, it is not unusual for small numbers of cases to arise featuring new sets of mutations. A growth rate potentially compatible with the eventual replacement of the current dominant variant. As viruses mutate into new variants, they sometimes split or branch off into sub-lineages. Currently, the Omicron variant has BA.1, BA.2, BA.3, and B.1.1.529 sub-variants, of which the BA.1 was dominant a few months before, and scientists have recently warned about the BA.2 sub-variant . UKHSA has performed an initial laboratory evaluation of the current lateral flow devices (LFDs) for COVID-19 in current use in the UK. Follow the latest self-isolation rules if you develop symptoms wear a mask where required to do so, take regular LFD tests and observe good hand hygiene. It is also vital to continue with all the other precautions we have become used to throughout the pandemic keep indoor areas well ventilated, wear a face covering in enclosed spaces, and take a rapid lateral flow (or LFD) test before a situation where you may be at high risk of catching or passing on the virus. 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. Lower back pain. Vaccination is critical to help us bolster our defences against this new variant please get your first, second or booster jab without delay. This is not an unusual occurrence and several recombinant SARS-CoV-2 variants have been identified over the course of the pandemic. Please take up this offer as soon as you are eligible to protect yourself, your families and your communities. 2 or Stealth Omicron causes. The vaccination status was unknown for 6 people, while 8 had received a single dose. And in England, more than 1,000 confirmed cases of BA.2 have been identified, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). Where individuals are identified as being a possible or probable case of Omicron, their close contacts will be contacted and advised they are required to isolate for 10 days, regardless of whether they have been vaccinated or received a negative COVID-19 test result. All 3 subvariants have spike protein mutations of L452 and elude immunity from prior BA1 infection. We continue to monitor all recombinants closely, routinely through our world-leading genomic surveillance and sequencing capability. But the latest data suggests this extra protection starts to wane more rapidly, being about 15 to 25% lower from 10 weeks after the booster dose. It appears to have a growth advantage compared to the version of Omicron, BA.1, that has swept the globe. Since then, several sub-variants of Omicron surfaced, including BA.2, BA.3, BA.4, and BA.5. Fatigue. There are indications of a small rise in children admitted to hospital, but these early signals need further investigations before we can draw any conclusions about whether Omicron causes more severe illness in children. While prevalence remains high, make sure to wear your mask in indoor settings and take a lateral flow test before meeting others. The total number of confirmed cases in England is now 29. UKHSA is monitoring the situation closely, in partnership with scientific and public health organisations across the world. The individuals that have tested positive and their contacts are all isolating. UKHSA analysis shows that the risk of hospital admission for an identified case with Omicron is reduced compared to a case of Delta. It showed that the AstraZeneca and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines provided much lower levels of protection against symptomatic infection compared to the protection that they provide against Delta. BA.2 is estimated to account for approximately 93.7% of cases in England, with the highest prevalence in the South East (96.4%) and the lowest in the East Midlands (91.1%). While evidence is still emerging, so far it does not appear this variant causes more severe disease or renders the vaccines currently deployed any less effective. We continue to urge everyone who is eligible to get a COVID-19 vaccine and booster. Our advanced sequencing capabilities enable us to find variants and take rapid action to limit onward spread. A thirddose was associated with a 68% (95% confidence interval 52 to 82%) reduced risk of hospitalisation when compared to similar unvaccinated individuals. The individual tested positive after travel to the UK and is linked to travel to Southern Africa. Typical meningitis symptoms include neck stiffness or pain, numbness, tingling, and sensitivity to light. 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. Updated analysisshows theadditional incremental benefit from each vaccine exposureincluding for boosters, even in those who have had prior infection. The public health advice is the same for all current variants. A total 637 cases of XE a recombinant of Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 have been confirmed in the UK so far. Overall, data shows significant reductions in neutralisation against several of the newly emergent variants (BA.2.75.2, BA.2.3.20 and BJ.1), compared to BA.2, BA.4 and the dominant BA.5. The COVID Omicron sub-variant BA.2, informally dubbed the "Stealth Omicron" variant, is able to reinfect people who have already had Omicron, a new study suggests. As I previously reported, omicron subvariants have a shorter incubation period, which is why the symptoms may appear earlier. Its very likely that we will find more cases over the coming days as we are seeing in other countries globally and as we increase case detection through focused contact tracing. Omicron BA2 symptoms include taste loss. Our data shows that LFD tests are similarly able to detect COVID-19 in individuals who have been exposed to Omicron as in those exposed to previous variants. UKHSA is gathering scientific information as quickly as possible in order to inform the right balance of interventions to prevent transmission and protect lives. These groups have been prioritised for booster doses since the start of the rollout in September to increase their protection. We have seen a rise in hospital admissions in line with community infections but vaccinations are continuing to keep ICU admissions and deaths at low levels. 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. A detrimental change in biological properties (changes in transmissibility, severity or immune evasion) compared to the current dominant variant. An estimated 78.7% of confirmed cases in England are BA.5 which was first identified in April and was designated as a Variant of Concern on 18 May. As is routine for any new variants under investigation, UKHSAis carrying out laboratory and epidemiological investigations to better understand the properties of this variant. They also say that Omicron symptoms are typically mild, and herd immunity is at . Please take up this offer as soon as you are invited to protect yourself, your families and your communities. 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. BA.2, also known as "stealth omicron," is considered a subvariant of omicron. Please take up this offer as soon as you are eligible to protect yourself, your families and your communities. What are the most common symptoms of Omicron BA.2? In total, 40 countries have uploaded 8,040 BA.2 sequences to GISAID since 17 November 2021. BA.2 attacking abdomen instead of lungs. With the original version of the omicron variant, which swept across the U.S. at a dizzying speed last winter, the loss of taste and smell was not as common as with the earlier alpha and delta variants. BA.2 Symptoms Not That Different From Omicron, Delta. In India, BA.2 is rapidly replacing the Delta and Omicron BA.1 variants of Covid, BA.2 was first detected in the Philippines, About half of new cases in Denmark are caused by BA.2, AOC under investigation for Met Gala dress, Mother who killed her five children euthanised, Alex Murdaugh jailed for life for double murder, The children left behind in Cuba's exodus, Zoom boss Greg Tomb fired without cause, US sues Exxon over nooses found at Louisiana plant. Six cases of the SARS-CoV-2 variant known as B.1.1.529 have also been identified in Scotland, with 4 cases in the Lanarkshire area and 2 in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area. Headache. The population rate of people becoming infected with Omicron after having previously contracted COVID-19 has increased sharply. Whilst Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 are in the early stages of growth in the UK, analysis of the available data suggests that they are likely to have a growth advantage over the currently-dominant Omicron BA.2 variant. The latest data confirmed that among those who had received 2 doses of AstraZeneca, there was no effect against Omicron from 20 weeks after the second dose. As with any other coronavirus (COVID-19) variant, the vast majority do not confer any advantage to the virus and die out relatively quickly. Further studies are underway in the UK and abroad. A separate UK study also found higher transmissibility for BA.2 compared to BA.1. 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. Because of a quirk in how it shows up in test results, we can see the numbers of suspected BA.2 doubled in the week up to 24 January. As we cautiously return to Plan A, I encourage you to give yourself and your loved ones the best protection possible and Get Boosted Now. It is very likely that we will find more cases over the coming days as we are seeing in other countries globally and as we increase case detection through focused contact tracing. BA.2.75.2 as a new variant but singled it out as an . Our exceptional vaccine rollout means the number of people severely affected by COVID-19 is low, and the UKs innovation and research has discovered life-saving treatments for those most at risk from COVID-19. Any variants showing evidence of spread are rapidly assessed. Although there was a rapid increase in SARS-CoV-2 infections in care homes during December 2021 in line with case rises in the community, there has not been an associated increase in hospital admissions. And even if it does become the dominant version of Omicron, it may not actually alter the trajectory of the pandemic in countries that have seen a big wave of BA.1. We should all continue to test regularly with LFDs and take a PCR test if symptoms develop. There have been recent reports of people who experience symptoms like those of viral meningitis, an inflammation of the brain and spinal cord membranes. Francois Balloux, Professor of Computational Systems Biology and director of the UCL Genetics Institute, said that BA.1 and BA.2 "can be considered as two epidemiologically largely equivalent sub-lineages of Omicron". . The two most reported symptom of patients infected by the Stealth Omicron variant is -dizziness and fatigue. The symptoms of omicron BA.2.75 are mostly flu-like and may last more than 4-5 days. The odds of reporting long COVID symptoms four to eight weeks after a first COVID-19 infection were 21.8% higher after an infection compatible with Omicron BA.2 than Omicron BA.1 among adults who were triple-vaccinated when infected; this was after adjusting for socio-demographic characteristics and time since last COVID-19 vaccination. 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 designation V-22JUL-01. How are Covid rules changing across UK schools? The Omicron variant of Covid-19 includes the lineages BA.1, BA.2, BA.3 and B.1.1.529. ; An increase in new cases is being . BA.2 is found to be able to alarmingly reinfect patients originally infected by Omicron BA.1. 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. UKHSA will continue to designate new variants, and these will receive a variant number (in the format V-date-number). Can Nigeria's election result be overturned? While growth rates can be overestimated in early analyses of a new variant, the apparent growth advantage is currently substantial. There can be several reasons for growth advantage, but in the case of BA.4 and BA.5, laboratory data suggests a degree of immune escape which is likely to contribute. A booster dose for everyone over 18 years is now recommended and will be available at a minimum of 3 months from your last primary course jab. 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. Its critical that anyone with COVID-19 symptoms isolates and gets a PCR test immediately. You have accepted additional cookies. Data for the devolved administrations will follow in due course. Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Adviser at UKHSA, said: The latest set of analysis is in keeping with the encouraging signs we have already seen. Teams nationally and locally are working at pace to identify and trace all close contacts of every Omicron case. The data suggests this risk is significantly reduced following a booster vaccine, so I urge everyone to take up their booster when eligible.