What is known about the “insidious” version of Omicron?

This version of the coronavirus, which scientists call BA.2, is widely considered more secretive than the original version of Omicron because specific genetic traits make it somewhat more difficult to detect.

Some scientists worry it may also be more contagious.

But, they say there are many things they still do not know about it, including whether it is better to avoid vaccines or cause more serious illnesses.

Where is it spread?

Since mid-November, dozens of countries have uploaded about 15,000 BA.2 genetic sequences to GISAID, a global platform for sharing coronavirus data.

As of Tuesday morning, 96 of those sequences came from the US.

“So far, we have not seen it begin to gain ground,” he said. Wesley Long, a pathologist at Houston Methodist in Texas, who has identified three cases of BA.2.

The mutation seems much more common in Asia and Europe.

In Denmark, this mutation accounted for 45 percent of all COVID-19 cases in mid-January, up from 20 percent two weeks ago, according to the Staten Serum Institute, which is part of the Danish Ministry of Health.

BA.2 has many mutations. About 20 of them in the yeast protein covering the outside of the virus are the same as the original Omicron.

But, there are also additional genetic changes that are not seen in the initial version.

It is unclear how important those mutations are, especially in a population that encountered the original Omicron, said Dr. Jeremy Luban, a virologist at the University of Massachusetts.

For now, the original version, known as BA.1 and BA.2 are considered Omicron subsets. But global health leaders can give the Greek letter its name if it is considered a globally important “disturbing variant.”

The rapid spread of BA.2 in some countries raises concerns that it may spread rapidly.

“We have some indications that he may just be as sticky or maybe a little more sticky than Omicroni [origjinal] “because he is able to compete with him in some areas,” said Long.

“But we do not necessarily know why this is,” he said.

An initial analysis by scientists in Denmark shows no changes in hospitalizations for BA.2 compared to the original Omicron.

Scientists there are still examining the infectivity of this version and how well current vaccines work against it.

It is also unclear how well the treatments against it will work.

Doctors also do not yet know for sure if someone who has already had Omicron-induced COVID-19 can get BA again.

But, they are hopeful, especially that a previous Omicron infection can reduce the severity of the disease if someone later contracts BA.2.

The two versions of Omicron have a lot in common, so much so that it is possible that infection with the original mutation “will give you cross-protection against BA.2,” said Dr. Daniel Kuritzkes, an infectious disease expert at Brigham.

The scientists will perform tests to see if antibodies from an infection with the original Omicrn “are able to neutralize BA.2 in the laboratory,” he said.

The World Health Organization generally classifies Omicron as a disturbing variant, the label given to coronavirus mutations, but does not distinguish BA.2 with such a label.

However, given its rise in some countries, the agency says BA.2 investigations “should be a priority”.
The UK Health Insurance Agency, meanwhile, has designated BA.2 a “variant under investigation”, citing growing numbers found in the UK and internationally.

However, the original version of Omicron remains dominant in the UK.

Why is it more difficult to detect?
The original version of Omicron had specific genetic traits that allowed health workers to rapidly differentiate it from Delta using a specific PCR test.

BA.2 does not have the same genetic trait. So on test, Long said, BA.2 looks like Delta.

“It’s not that the test does not detect it; “It just doesn’t look like Omicron,” he said.

“Do not have the impression that ‘secret Omicron’ means we can not detect it.”

“All our PCR tests can still detect it,” Long said.

Doctors advise the same precautions they have mentioned all along: Get vaccinated and follow public health guidelines for wearing masks, avoiding crowds, and staying home when you are sick.

“Vaccines are still providing good protection against serious illness, hospitalization and death,” Long said.

“Even if you have had COVID 19 before – you have had a natural infection – the vaccine protection is even stronger, more stable and in fact mirë does good to people who have been infected before.”

The latest version is another reminder that the pandemic is not over.

“We all wish it was over,” Long said. “But until we vaccinate the world, we will be in danger of new variants emerging.”

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