#India is another country where #SARS_CoV_2 BA.2 is rapidly replacing #Delta & #Omicron BA.1. For the first time, this data includes analysis on vaccine effectiveness 15+ weeks after the booster dose. The pace of sharing sequences by India is very slow, median days from collection to deposition is 69 days according to GISAID. Please take up this offer as soon as you are invited to protect yourself, your families and your communities. Please take up this offer as soon as you are eligible to protect yourself, your families and your communities. Both have links to travel to Southern Africa. What are the most common symptoms of Omicron BA.2? BA.2 Symptoms Doctors Are Seeing The Most Right Now - Yahoo! News "We must remain vigilant and take up vaccinations. "Looking at other countries where BA.2 is now overtaking, we're not seeing any higher bumps in hospitalisation than expected," the WHO's Dr Boris Pavlin says. 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. BA2 Variant is overtaking Delta and Omicron Cases at rapid speed. The analysis shows that coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in the UK are primarily made up of BQ.1 and its sublineages, consistent with the UKHSA risk assessment published in October. A preliminary assessment by UKHSA did not find a difference in vaccine effectiveness, although it said there was no data yet available on severity. This is not an unusual occurrence and several recombinant SARS-CoV-2 variants have been identified over the course of the pandemic. One of the most common symptoms of the Omicron subvariant BA.2 is nausea. Neither BQ.1 nor XBB have been designated as variants of concern and UKHSA is monitoring the situation closely, as always. There is evidence that protection against symptomatic disease wanes after the second dose of vaccine, and then improves after the booster. 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. There is no data to suggest that BA.2 leads to more severe disease than previous Omicron sub-variants. Fatigue. Data for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is not included in the UKHSA Technical Briefing. The Philippines' Department of Health (DOH) said the BA.2 sub-lineage was already prevalent in samples it received at the end of January. Analysis by the UKHSA suggests it could be substantial, although there is a risk of over-estimating growth advantage in the early stages. The latest number of COVID-19 cases with mutations consistent with B.1.1.529 in England are published on UKHSAs social media channels. An important question is whether BA.2 or BA.3 will become a new dominating "variant of concern". What are the symptoms of BA.2? Omicron sublineages BQ.1 and XBB have been given UKHSA variant designations to facilitate continued studies. Dont include personal or financial information like your National Insurance number or credit card details. As of 20 December,132individuals with confirmed Omicron have been admitted to or transferred from emergency departments. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published the latest Variant Technical Briefing. 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 . Dr Jenny Harries, Chief Executive of the UK Health Security Agency, said: Viruses mutate often and at random, and it is not unexpected that new variants will continue to arise as the pandemic goes on, particularly while the case rate remains high. Currently, approximately half of all tests conducted in the UK are able to detect SGTF. 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. Cases have been confirmed through whole genome sequencing in all 9 regions of England. The increasing prevalence of Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 is likely to be a factor in the recent increase in cases seen in the UK and elsewhere, though there is currently no evidence that Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 cause more severe illness than previous variants. 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". Please wear face coverings in line with government guidance, let in fresh air when mixing indoors and wash your hands regularly. There are thought to be subtle differences in the symptoms that BA. Teams nationally and locally are working at pace to identify and trace all close contacts of every Omicron case. Previous variants of concern which no longer meet the criteria will be redesignated. Taste Lost is one of the Omicron BA2 Symptoms. 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. These people are spread around the country and are a mix of age ranges between 18 to 85 years the majority had received 2 doses of vaccination. As of January 10 2022, 53 sequences of the BA.2 sub-lineage of Omicron had been identified in the United Kingdom. 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. Thats why its critical that anyone with COVID-19 symptoms isolates and gets a PCR test immediately. As with any other coronavirus (COVID-19) variant, the vast majority do not confer any advantage to the virus and die out relatively quickly. However, a small change may be enough to cause a difference in the virus properties in some circumstances. 2. Surefire Signs Omicron is in Your Body Eat This Not That The Omicron variant of Covid-19 includes the lineages BA.1, BA.2, BA.3 and B.1.1.529. It has been designated a "variant under investigation" by British health authorities, meaning they are keeping a close watch on it, but are not overly concerned by it. This particular recombinant, XE, has shown a variable growth rate and we cannot yet confirm whether it has a true growth advantage. 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. This increased to 63% for BA.1 and 70% for BA.2 at 2 weeks following a third vaccine. Omicron BA.2: 6 new symptoms indicate you are infected with - mint While signs remain encouraging on Omicrons severity compared with Delta, the high levels of community transmission continue and may cause pressures on health services. 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. You have accepted additional cookies. 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. Everyone over 18 is now able to walk into a vaccine centre, so do not hesitate to get yours. People infected with Omicron are also less likely to experience fever or loss of taste and smell. Anyone who is contacted because of a link to a probable or possible Omicron case will be asked to take a PCR test, even if they have received a positive COVID-19PCRtestwithin the last 90 days. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published a new variant technical briefing containing updated analysis on Omicron hospitalisation risk and vaccine efficacy against symptomatic disease and hospitalisation. Until we have this evidence, we must exercise the highest level of caution in drawing conclusions about any significant risks to peoples health. 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. Work is underway to identify any links to travel. Those aged 18 to 39 should wait to be called. Vaccine effectiveness against severe disease from Omicron is not yet known but is expected to be significantly higher than protection against symptomatic disease. 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. Getty Images BA.2 was. 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. The original Delta variant remains overwhelmingly dominant in the UK, making up approximately 99.8% of all cases. According to Boden-Albala said, those symptoms may include the following: Fever Chills Fatigue Cough Body aches Shortness of breath Sore throat Additionally, some people may report upper. Stealth BA.2 Omicron Variant Can Reinfect People Who Had BA - Newsweek UKHSA has also published a breakdown of confirmed Omicron cases and SGTF cases by local authority. As with other kinds of variant, most will die off relatively quickly. Omicron continues to grow faster than Delta, with an increased risk of transmission, particularly in contacts outside of the household. Since BA.2 is a sub-strain of the Omicron variant, it is expected that its symptoms will be similar. One study has suggested that it may be difficult to identify this variant . In some countries, BA.2 accounts for more than half of sequenced Omicron cases, it adds. Professor Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Advisor, UKHSA said: Recombinant variants are not an unusual occurrence, particularly when there are several variants in circulation, and several have been identified over the course of the pandemic to date. moderate COVID-19 symptoms who are at high risk of . It is vital that everyone over the age of 40 who is eligible for a booster jab comes forward as soon as possible to get increased protection against this new variant. A total 637 cases of XE a recombinant of Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 have been confirmed in the UK so far. By the summer of 2022, the BA.5 variant was the most dominant strain in the US. An individual with Omicron is estimated to be between 31 and 45% less likely to attend A&E compared to Delta, and 50 to 70% less likely to be admitted to hospital. And now, dizziness and fatigue are beginning to emerge as potential symptoms of the new sub-strain of Omicron, along with the original Covid symptoms. 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. Things you can choose to do are: The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has elevated the classification of the COVID-19 variants Omicron BA.4 and Omicron BA.5 to variants of concern (VOCs) on the basis of observed growth. Our advanced sequencing capabilities enable us to find variants and take rapid action to limit onward spread. 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. Experts say BA.2 has extensive mutations and is about 40 percent more infectious than the original Omicron variant. Omicron Infection Timeline: Exposure to Immunity - Health The worst symptom is a "throat on fire," said University of California, San Francisco's Dr. Peter Chin-Hong. This sub-lineage, which was designated by Pangolin on 6 December 2021, does not have the spike gene deletion at 69-70 that causes S-gene target failure (SGTF), which has previously been used as a proxy to detect cases of Omicron. Thats why its critical that anyone with COVID-19 symptoms isolates and gets aPCRtest immediately. BA.2 attacking abdomen instead of lungs. Nine cases have also been identified in Scotland, with 5 cases in the Lanarkshire area and 4 in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area. The total number of confirmed cases in England is now 13. But it is worth noting that Denmark has seen similar trends in terms of hospital admissions and intensive care as the UK has, suggesting BA.2 does not mark a sea-change in severity. Further information is also available in the latest variant technical briefing. This data shows that protection against severe illness from COVID-19 remains at over 90% in those aged 65 and over up to 14 weeks after a booster dose. Covid BA.2 Omicron variant: The key symptoms to look out for What are the symptoms of BA.2? This suggests that BA.5 is likely to become the dominant COVID-19 variant in the UK. 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. 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. There are also hybrid strains, such as XE, which is a combination of BA.1 and BA.2 By Alex Finnis The symptoms of omicron BA.2.75 are mostly flu-like and may last more than 4-5 days. 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. Health and Social Care Secretary, Sajid Javid, said: We are learning to live with this virus and thanks to our world-leading surveillance system we can rapidly detect and carefully monitor any genetic changes to COVID-19. It is therefore vital that people continue to exercise caution in order to limit the transmission of the virus. Any variants showing evidence of spread are rapidly assessed. Work from home if you are able to, wear a mask indoors around other people, and ventilate indoor spaces well. The same happened with Omicron, which includes the lineages BA.1, BA.2, BA.3 and B.1.1.529. Fast-spreading new Covid stealth Omicron BA.2 variant and symptoms 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. It is projected that if current trends continue unchanged, the UK will exceed one million infections a day by the end of this month. 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. New 'stealth' Omicron subvariant presents two NEW symptoms, experts A second BTN162b2 booster was previously found to be 52% and 72% effective in preventing Omicron BA.1 infection and hospitalization, respectively, in adults 60 years. 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. We use some essential cookies to make this website work. COVID-19 has not gone away, so it is also vitally important that people continue to follow the guidance. Two-thirds with Omicron say they had Covid before. It is not unexpected to see new lineages and continued investigation is a normal part of the surveillance of an infectious disease. The variant technical briefing also includes updated analysis on Omicron BA.2, currently the dominant variant in the UK. 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. Fourteen people are reported to have died within 28 days of an Omicron diagnosis, ranging in age from 52 to 96 years old. Lower back pain. UKHSA is carrying out targeted testing at locations where the positive cases were likely to be infectious. The BA.2 variant is a sibling of the BA.1, which swept across the country over Christmas. 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 focussed contact tracing. Omicron and its Subvariants: A Guide to What We Know The data so far suggests an increase in overall reinfection rates, alongside an increase in first infections. 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. The omicron variant of the coronavirus was first detected in late 2021. However, some experts believe that BA.2 doesn't present symptoms different from the original Omicron. There will be no other categorisation of variants, including no variant under investigation (VUI) category. However, cases of the variant continue to rise at an extraordinary rate already surpassing the record daily number in the pandemic. If you have any symptoms, take a test. BA.2.75.2 as a new variant but singled it out as an . The five most common symptoms of Omicron are: runny nose;. New Omicron BA.2 variant symptoms - What we know so far - Yahoo Life UK 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. There are insufficient severe cases of Omicronas yetto analyse vaccine effectiveness against hospitalisation, but this is more likely to be sustained, particularly after a booster. There have been recent reports of people who experience symptoms like those of viral meningitis, an inflammation of the brain and spinal cord membranes. 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. UKHSAreleases weekly updates on the number of confirmed new cases of variants of concern and variants under investigation identified in the UK. As viruses mutate often and at random, it is not unusual for small numbers of cases to arise featuring new sets of mutations. That contrasts to Denmark, where it has become dominant. Runny nose/congestion. But the preliminary assessment found no evidence that vaccines would be any less effective against symptomatic disease for either sub-variant.