Scientists Are Learning More About ‘Stealth Omicron’ Variant Causing 1/3 of All New COVID Cases
The coronavirus mutation which scientists have dubbed “stealth Omicron” is now causing more than a third of new COVID cases around the world, but scientists still don’t know how it could affect the future of the pandemic. This week, a technical advisory group for the World Health Organization (WHO) advised public health authorities to monitor it as a distinct Omicron strain.
Researchers are slowly revealing clues about the strain, a descendant of Omicron known as BA.2, while warily watching it become ever more prevalent. Early research suggests it spreads faster than the original Omicron, and in rare cases, can sicken people even if they’ve already had an Omicron infection.
BA.2 has been found in more than 80 countries and all 50 U.S. states. In a recent report, the WHO said BA.2 was dominant in 18 countries and it represented about 36% of sequenced Omicron cases submitted in the most recent week to a publicly available international database where scientists share coronavirus data. That’s up from 19% two weeks earlier. In the United States, BA.2 caused about 4% of COVID cases during the week ending February 19th, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The percentage was lower in some regions and higher in others, hitting about 7% in New England.
The U.K. Health and Security Agency announced Friday it is investigating a sub-lineage of the omicron coronavirus variant—known as BA.2 and nicknamed by some scientists as “stealth omicron”—that appears to be outpacing other forms of the variant around the world. pic.twitter.com/Riflu03cAl
— Forbes (@Forbes) January 21, 2022
There’s mixed research on whether it causes more severe disease, but the currently available vaccines appear just as effective against it. “We’re all keeping an eye on BA.2 just because it has done particularly well in some parts of the world,” including parts of Asia, Africa, and Europe, said Dr. Wesley Long, a pathologist at Houston Methodist in Texas.
1) In its #COVID19 epidemiological report this week, the World Health Organization noted the stealth #Omicron sub-variant BA.2 was “steadily increasing” in its spread, particularly in South Africa and Denmark. In this thread, I will report the latest developments concerning BA.2. pic.twitter.com/2ZxPb0OqSC
— Aaron Derfel (@Aaron_Derfel) February 18, 2022
No one knows for sure how BA.2 will affect the pandemic, but COVID-19 cases are dropping globally, including in some of the places where BA.2 is prevalent. Some experts believe BA.2 is unlikely to spark new surges but may slow COVID declines in some places.
COVID LATEST: As Omicron stabilizes in cities across the U.S., former FDA Commissioner Dr. Gottlieb says data shows vaccines could fight the stealth COVID-19 subvariant known as “BA2.” https://t.co/IDj0ywinSn pic.twitter.com/MC5T5zMM3O
— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) January 31, 2022
WHO officials stress that the pandemic isn’t over and urge countries to remain vigilant. Doctors said individuals should do the same and remember that vaccines and boosters offer excellent protection against the worst effects of COVID-19, no matter the variant. “For people who aren’t boosted, please get boosted. For people who aren’t vaccinated, it’s never too late,” Dr. Long said. “Your best defense against COVID is still the vaccine.”
ICYMI: Opening remarks by @DrTedros at the #COVID19 Global Research and Innovation Forum ⬇️pic.twitter.com/sOH1OZ919x
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) February 24, 2022