Omicron BA.2 Variant to Become Dominant Worldwide

By Staff, Agencies

While the original Omicron variant first detected in South Africa in late November is still the dominant virus strain in most countries, others are starting to worry about a new sub-variant that has been halting the downward trend in infections – the BA.2 sub-variant.

One of three Omicron sub-variants, the BA.2 variant has become the main strain circulating in several countries including Denmark, the UK, India and South Africa. According to a February 3 Financial Times report on the sub-variant, it has as many as 27 mutations that are not found in the original Omicron variant, BA.1.

Public health bodies in both Denmark and the UK have determined the variant to be between 30%-34% more infectious than BA.1, said the Financial Times, and the UK designated BA.2 to be a variant under investigation back in mid-January. The World Health Organization [WHO] is also currently investigating it as a variant of concern, as they are with all Omicron sub-lineages.

Dr. Dorit Nitzan, regional emergency director for the WHO, explained the expected trajectory of the sub-variant, and what it could mean for the future of the pandemic.

“The expected trajectory is that it will become the new dominant variant, as once it crosses past a certain threshold it becomes dominant – like we’re seeing in Denmark and the UK,” she said in answer to whether or not other countries can expect to see a similar rise in sub-variant cases in the coming weeks. However, she said, there does not seem to be a risk of reinfection for those who have already contracted the original Omicron variant, as the two variants are not different enough, although there is not yet enough research to be absolutely sure.

In terms of the similarities and differences between BA.1 and BA.2, Nitzan explained that the most prominent difference right now is the transmissibility of the sub-variant.

“It moves from person to person much faster,” she explained. “If you’re with someone in a room who has the virus, you will get it. The moment you take your mask off to drink and eat – you never know when you’ll get it. We can see this in Denmark, it moves so quickly.”

Regarding the incubation period – the time between contracting the virus and becoming sick – some people have reported a shorter incubation period of just two to three days after exposure. Others have reported unusually long incubation periods, sometimes taking up to two weeks for symptoms to show after exposure.

Nitzan said it’s hard to get an accurate reading of the incubation period in places like the UK and Denmark because so many people are carrying the virus, and a positive case can often not be traced to one specific point of infection.

Other than the increased transmissibility of BA.2, Nitzan said there are not many significant differences that have been found during initial research into the variant.

In some places, 80% of the most vulnerable population have yet to receive even one vaccine, Nitzan explained, adding that it would be impossible to say what variants are developing in these areas of the world and to know whether they could be similar to Delta or even worse.

“Virus mutations occur in the immunodeficient, and these countries have a lot of malnutrition and chronic or communicable diseases like HIV/AIDS. And these are the people that the virus likes to stay with for a longer time. Their body gives fertile ground to the variants. That’s why we need to focus on them.”