No cases have been identified in the UK. Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said: This data is yet more evidence that vaccines remain our best line of defence against COVID-19. But at that point the sub-variant still appeared to account for less than one in 20 cases. We expect the vaccines to show higher protection against the serious complications of COVID-19, so if you havent yet had your first 2 doses please book an appointment straight away. The new strain has several key mutations, with the most important of those occurring in the spike protein that studs the outside of the virus. A runny nose, gastrointestinal. So far, there have been 717 V-22OCT-01 sequences uploaded from the UK to the international GISAID database. There is no data to suggest that BA.2 leads to more severe disease than previous Omicron sub-variants. Our findings suggest the current wave of Omicron infections is unlikely to lead to a major surge in severe disease in care home populations with high levels of vaccine coverage and/or natural immunity. 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. What are the most common symptoms of Omicron BA.2? 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. None of these cases are known to have been hospitalised or died. "The symptoms of the Omicron variant, which includes the BA.2 lineage, and the Delta variant, are similar," says Dr. Erica Johnson, MD, the chair of the Infectious Disease Board of the . 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. The BA.2 subvariant of the COVID-19 virus is now the dominant coronavirus strain in the world, and while health officials are saying the subvariant acts like the original omicron version of the . Of those patients admitted to hospital,17had received a booster vaccine, 74 people had 2 doses and 27 people were not vaccinated. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. We are particularly grateful to health protection specialists and the government of South Africa for early sharing of local information on the omicron variant in an exemplary way to support global health security. 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. BA.2 Omicron Subvariant Can Damage Your Lungs, Cause More Severe Disease Than You Can Expect: Study BA.2 Omicron Subvariant Can Damage Your Lungs, Cause More Severe Disease Than You Can. It appears to have a growth advantage compared to the version of Omicron, BA.1, that has swept the globe. Omicron BA.2 Variant Severity The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published its latest COVID-19 variant technical briefing. Its critical that anyone with COVID-19 symptoms isolates and gets a PCR test immediately. There is still uncertainty around the significance of the changes to the viral genome, and further analyses will now be undertaken. These changes will take effect as of 1 April 2022 and will be reflected in full in future technical briefings. 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. It is not clear where BA.2 originated, but it was first detected in the Philippines in November. They save lives and prevent serious illness. Well be undertaking further analysis to investigate the small rise in the number of children admitted to hospital but currently coronavirus (COVID-19) poses a very low health risk to children and infants. 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. 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. What is Omicron sub-variant BA.2? All we know about the symptoms and Can Nigeria's election result be overturned? None of the cases to date is known to have been hospitalised or died. Delta and Omicron Cases are being eclipsed by BA2 Variant rapidly. However, UKHSA scientists say there is no room to be complacent. Take a vaccine to protect yourself against COVID-19. Thats why its critical that anyone with COVID-19 symptoms isolates and gets a PCR test immediately. As of 20 October, there were 15,120 cases of VUI-21OCT-01 confirmed by whole genome sequences in England since it was first detected in July. These are potentially biologically significant mutations which may change the behaviour of the virus with regards to vaccines, treatments and transmissibility. For some more vulnerable a third dose is available. Until we have this evidence, we must exercise the highest level of caution in drawing conclusions about any significant risks to peoples health. The BA.2 variant is a sibling of the BA.1, which swept across the country over Christmas. Please come forward to receive your booster as soon as possible. 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. After 2 doses, vaccine effectiveness was 9% and 13% respectively for BA.1 and BA.2, after 25+ weeks. There are thought to be subtle differences in the symptoms that BA. As of 2 May 2022, 21 confirmed cases of Omicron BA.4 and 19 confirmed cases of Omicron BA.5 have been detected in England. SGTF is not a 100% accurate test for Omicron and results are regularly evaluated against sequencing to ensure they are interpreted correctly. Under the new system, the variant of concern (VOC) label will be assigned to variants which are currently emerging or circulating, and which the following characteristics can be confirmed or predicted: 1. The Delta variant, for example, comprises 200 different sub-variants. In a subgroup analysis of 4,800 people who were triple-vaccinated and infected with an omicron variant, the authors found that people with BA.2 were 64 percent more likely than BA.1-infected . Read about our approach to external linking. UKHSA is carrying out targeted testing at locations where the positive cases were likely to be infectious. 'Stealth' Omicron: What You Need To Know About The BA.2 Virus | Glamour UK As of 18 July 2022, there were 24 cases of BA.2.75 in the UK. Genome sequencing among the states is not always fair. pic.twitter.com/ESQupxUet4. 34 Subsequent studies that were performed in periods when a mix of BA.1, BA.2, BA.4, and BA.5 viruses circulated have reported low effectiveness of a second booster against . For the first time, this data includes analysis on vaccine effectiveness 15+ weeks after the booster dose. Wed like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services. To date, there have been 426 cases of Omicron BA.2 confirmed by Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS), with the earliest dated 6 December 2021. There is insufficient data to make any assessment of protection against severe disease, or to assess the severity of illness caused by Omicron. As is routine for any new variants under investigation, UKHSAis carrying out laboratory and epidemiological investigations to better understand the properties of this variant. 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. Following the change in JCVI advice earlier this week, 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. 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. Recent studies suggest that BA.2 has a. This analysis shows you are up to 8 times more likely to end up in hospital as a result of COVID-19 if you are unvaccinated. Working from home where possible, consistently wearing masks in crowded or enclosed spaces, washing your hands regularly and isolating and getting tested if you feel unwell are also vitally important in reducing the impact of COVID-19 this winter. As always, the booster vaccine remains the best protection against infection. BA.2 has an increased growth rate compared to BA.1 in all regions of England where there are enough cases to assess it. UKHSA Chief Medical Advisor, Dr Susan Hopkins said: It is increasingly evident that Omicron is highly infectious and there is emerging laboratory and early clinical evidence to suggest that both vaccine-acquired and naturally acquired immunity against infection is reduced for this variant. The risk assessment conducted by UKHSA together with academic partners found that CH.1.1 and XBB.1.5 are currently the variants most likely to take over from BQ.1 as the next dominant variant in the UK, unless further novel variants arise. However, one must note, these are only early stage symptoms. Experts in Kolkata say that BA.2 symptoms are mostly associated with abdomen and stomach instead of cough or shortness of breath. Early data shows that young children who are hospitalised experience mild illness and are discharged after short stays in hospital. News stories, speeches, letters and notices, Reports, analysis and official statistics, Data, Freedom of Information releases and corporate reports. Since then, several sub-variants of Omicron surfaced, including BA.2, BA.3, BA.4, and BA.5. It is critical that anyone with COVID-19 symptoms isolates and gets a PCR test immediately. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published a new variant technical briefing containing an updated Omicron risk assessment, alongside analysis on vaccine efficacy, sub-lineages and symptoms. This designation means that data relating to BA.2.75 will now be reported separately from other BA.2 cases. 2 or Stealth Omicron causes. Getty Images BA.2 was. A further 16 cases have been identified in Scotland, bringing the total in Scotland to 29. March 31, 2022. In some places, growth in recorded cases of the sub-variant has been sharp. This suggests that, as immunity begins to wane, these newly emerging BA.2 variants may fuel future waves of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Top of the list with a prevalence of 80. 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. This is more promising data which reinforces just how important vaccines are. Vaccination is critical to help us bolster our defences against becoming severely ill from this new variant please get your first, second, third or booster jab without delay. It has since swept the globe, eventually vanquishing other variants including delta. The five key Omicron symptoms. There is currently no data on the severity of BA.2. 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. The genome of VUI-21OCT-01 does not have many mutations compared to Delta. Omicron BA.2: The 'stealth' variant could cause more 'severe' disease I urge you to come forward as soon as youre eligible to help keep yourself and your loved ones safe. Please take up this offer as soon as you are eligible to protect yourself, your families and your communities. Stealth BA.2 Omicron Variant Can Reinfect People Who Had BA - Newsweek 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. Case rates remain high throughout the UK and we must remain vigilant and take up vaccinations. Hospital cases are also rising, but vaccines are still helping to stop many severe. 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. One case is located in Camden, London, and one case is located in Wandsworth, London. 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. UKHSAs most recent variant technical briefing includes examination of a number of recombinant variants which have been identified in the UK, as well as updated epidemiological and genomic analysis of Omicron BA.2. In addition, UKHSA has published data which shows the detection of cases exhibiting S-gene target failure (SGTF) in recent weeks across the country. 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. Please take up this offer as soon as you are eligible to protect yourself, your families and your communities. The full document and underlying data is available on GOV.UK. Getting your booster jab remains the most effective way of protecting yourself and others from infection and severe disease. 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. The original Delta variant remains overwhelmingly dominant in the UK, making up approximately 99.8% of all cases. A further case has been identified in Scotland, bringing the total to 10. Surefire Signs Omicron is in Your Body Eat This Not That BA.2 is found to be able to alarmingly reinfect patients originally infected by Omicron BA.1. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has identified 75 further cases of COVID-19 with mutations consistent with B.1.1.529 in England, in addition to the previous 29 confirmed cases of the SARS-CoV-2 variant known as B.1.1.529. So far, vaccination means that the rise in cases is not translating to a rise in severe illness and deaths. Work from home if you are able to, wear a mask indoors around other people, and ventilate indoor spaces well. 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%). Professor Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Advisor at UKHSA said: It is clear that the increasing prevalence of Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 are significantly increasing the case numbers we have observed in recent weeks. The pace of sharing sequences by India is very slow, median days from collection to deposition is 69 days according to GISAID. Sajid Javid, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, said: Todays new data shows how important booster jabs are to protect us against this variant. The most commonly-reported symptoms with the original Omicron variant were cough, fatigue, headache, congestion, and runny nose. Studies have also shown that Omicron infects and multiplies in the upper airways 70 times faster than the previous Delta variant. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) estimates that if Omicron continues to grow at the present rate, the variantwill become the dominant strain, accounting for more than 50% of all COVID-19 infections in the UK by mid-December. Other countries that have uploaded more than 100 samples are India (530), Sweden (181), and Singapore (127). The individual is no longer in the UK, but UKHSA is carrying out targeted testing at locations where the positive case visited when they were likely to have been infectious. We should all continue to test regularly with LFDs and take a PCR test if symptoms develop. Inthe SIREN study, a large cohort of healthcare workers are tested regularly by PCR to detect asymptomatic infection in addition to normal testing practices for symptomatic infection. Stay at home if you have any respiratory symptoms or a fever and limit contact with others until you are feeling better, particularly if they are likely to be at greater risk if they contract COVID-19. We will continue to closely analyse all available biological, epidemiological and genomic evidence for any SARS-CoV-2 variant in the UK or internationally. Dr Jenny Harries, UKHSA Chief Executive, said: Our latest analysis shows an encouraging early signal that people who contract the Omicron variant may be at a relatively lower risk of hospitalisation than those who contract other variants. Everybody who is contacted or has symptoms should take a PCR test as soon as possible, even if they have received a positive COVID-19 PCR test within the last 90 days. The percentage of people to have received a booster dose will also already be higher in older age groups and those with underlying health conditions due to prioritisation of the rollout so far. In this analysis, the risk of hospitalisation is lower for Omicron cases with symptomatic or asymptomatic infection after 2 and 3 doses of vaccine, with an 81% (95% confidence interval 77 to 85%) reduction in the risk of hospitalisation after 3 doses compared to unvaccinated Omicron cases. Cases have been confirmed through whole genome sequencing in all 9 regions of England. Dont worry we wont send you spam or share your email address with anyone. 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. Added breakdown of cases by local authority to latest update. B.1.1.529 has a large number of mutations in the gene coding for the spike protein, and also in other parts of the viral genome. Due to the early nature of the findings, all estimates are subject to significant uncertainty and are subject to change. UKHSA continues to monitor and study variants of SARS-CoV-2 closely and is working with academic partners to rapidly assess the significance of the lineages BA.4 and BA.5. 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". UKHSAs most recent variant technical briefing can be found on GOV.UK. Coronavirus: There's a third variant of Omicron 'BA.3'; all about the Vaccination is critical to help us bolster our defences against this new variant please get your first, second, third or booster jab without delay. This is very encouraging. In the UK, 38 cases of XF have been identified, though none have been seen since mid February. The data suggests this risk is significantly reduced following a booster vaccine, so I urge everyone to take up their booster when eligible. Where individualsare suspected or confirmed to have theOmicron variantas the result of testing, their close contacts will be contacted by NHS Test and Trace, required to self-isolate and asked to take aPCRtest,regardless of whether they have been vaccinated. A preliminary assessment did not find evidence of a difference in vaccine effectiveness against symptomatic disease for BA.2 compared to BA.1. Omicron has branched into three lineages, explains Thomas Russo, M.D., professor and chief of infectious disease at the University at Buffalo in New York: BA.1, BA.2, and BA.3. The Omicron variant of Covid-19 includes the lineages BA.1, BA.2, BA.3 and B.1.1.529. What is Stealth Omicron? Symptoms of the Covid variant responsible for It is projected that if current trends continue unchanged, the UK will exceed one million infections a day by the end of this month. Ba.2 Omicron Variant Symptoms - SymptomsTalk.net 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. UKHSAreleases weekly updates on the number of confirmed new cases of variants of concern and variants under investigation identified in the UK. The analysis looked at 581 people with confirmed Omicron. New Covid Omicron BA.2 variant - Two unusual symptoms to watch for Data for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is not included in the UKHSA Technical Briefing. UKHSA will continue to monitor the situation closely as a matter of routine, as we do all data relating to SARS-CoV-2 variants both in the UK and internationally. COVID-19 variants identified in the UK - latest updates - GOV.UK A preliminary assessment by UKHSA did not find a difference in vaccine effectiveness, although it said there was no data yet available on severity. The proportion of test results displaying SGTF has been very low in recent months but an increase has been observed in the past week. 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). 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. Thats why its critical that anyone with COVID-19 symptoms isolates and gets a PCR test immediately.. It remains vital that anyone with COVID-19 symptoms isolates and gets aPCRtest immediately. AstraZeneca was the main vaccine used early in the programme in care homes and among those in clinical risk groups. The newest COVID variant taking the world by storm is Omicron's stealthy sub-variant BA.2, and it seems to have brought on a new barrage of gastrointestinal symptoms with it. Cases are currently very high in the UK, and even a relatively low proportion requiring hospitalisation could result in a significant number of people becoming seriously ill. BA.2, a SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant, Explained - Health More evidence is needed to know whether this is due to changes in the virus behaviour or to epidemiological conditions. Prior infection is 44% effective at preventing future infection, increasing to 71% with 3 doses of the vaccine. BA.2 version of omicron is rising in the U.S., but experts remain The total number of confirmed cases in England is now 22. A separate UK study also found higher transmissibility for BA.2 compared to BA.1. BA.2, also coined as the "stealth" variant, is a relative of Omicron's original variant, BA.1, which tore through the Australian community over Christmas and the New Year period. Vaccination remains our best defence against future COVID-19 waves, so it is still as important as ever that people come take up all the doses for which they are eligible as soon as possible. The total number of confirmed cases in England is now 104. A study of 8,500 households and 18,000 individuals conducted by Denmark's SSI found that BA.2 was "substantially" more transmissible than BA.1. There is currently insufficient evidence to draw conclusions about growth advantage or other properties of this variant. Runny nose (especially in combination with loss of smell) A runny nose is a universal sign of cold, flu and now COVID-19. Omicron BA 2 Covid Variant Severity ,Symptoms - Bareillyinfo While in the UK, the individual was in Westminster, London. Omicron has a deletion atposition69/70of the spike proteinwhich allows it to be tracked through S gene target failure(SGTF)in some PCR tests. UKHSAis acting to get scientific information available as quickly as possible in order to inform the right balance of interventions to prevent transmission and protect lives. Since BA.2 is a sub-strain of the Omicron variant, it is expected that its symptoms will be similar. Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Adviser at UKHSA, said: The latest set of analysis is in keeping with the encouraging signs we have already seen. Until the week beginning 23 November 2021, the weekly count of cases with SGTF was routinely less than 150, making up less than 0.1% of all cases. Initial data suggests that LFDs are as likely to detect Omicron as other variants including Delta, which has been the dominant variant in the UK from May to December 2021. Scientists in the UK and abroad are closely monitoring BA.2, a sub-variant of Omicron. One individual diagnosed in hospital has sadly died. Omicron sublineages BQ.1 and XBB have been given UKHSA variant designations to facilitate continued studies. 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. The UK has been hard-hit by a further spike in Covid-19 cases in recent weeks, with infections being driven by a sub-lineage of the Omicron variant known as BA.2 or "Stealth Omicron". Dr Meera Chand, Director of Clinical and Emerging Infections, UKHSA, said: Through our genomic surveillance we continue to see evolution of variants in the Omicron family.
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