COVID-19 Pandemic: Concerns Loom as 57 Countries, Including India, Detect Omicron Subvariant BA.2 | The Weather Channel –Articles from The Weather Channel

The COVID-19 pandemic has turned into one of the greatest global tragedies of the 21st century. Even after affecting billions of lives over the last two years, the virus continues to evolve and mutate, stretching the pandemic longer and longer. Since December 2021, one particular variant of SARS-CoV-2, named Omicron, has been wreaking havoc worldwide.

Now, a subvariant of this mutated variant has started to raise concerns. Omicron, which is scientifically classified as B.1.1.529, has three main sub-variants, viz. BA.1, BA.2, and BA.3, says The World Health Organization (WHO). Among all, BA.2 has been quickly catching on around the world.

Reportedly, Denmark is the first country where BA.2 surpassed BA.1 infections. At present, BA.2 has become dominant in Denmark and has marked its presence in countries like the Philippines, Nepal, Qatar, India, South Africa and the UK . Scientists are closely monitoring BA.2, which has now spread to about 57 countries. Experts say that BA.2 has the potential to overtake BA.1 on a global scale.

In fact, a report report from Binayak Dasgupta on Hindustan Times suggests that BA.2 may have driven the third wave in India last month. Early evidence from the data submitted by Indian labs to the GISAID database shows that more than half of the cases in the last month could be of BA.2, reads the report.

A contagious sub-variant

The sub-variant of Omicron comes with five unique mutations on the spike protein—used by coronavirus to attack human cells. That’s why understanding BA.2’s behavior and the infection it triggers is of utmost importance.

According to research led by researchers at Denmark’s Statens Serum Institut (SSI), the BA.2 sub-variant of Omicron is substantially more transmissible than the original Omicron, indicating that BA.2 is more contagious than BA.1. The studywhich is yet to be peer-reviewed, took into account infections in more than 8,500 households between December and January in Denmark.

The study also said that the sub-variant “possesses immune-evasive properties that further reduce the protective effect of vaccination against infection”. Though it is more contagious, early evidence suggests that it may not increase hospitalisation cases. The study revealed that about 39 % of people infected with BA.2 subvariant were likely to pass on the infection to others in their households, as compared to 29% of individuals infected with the original form—first detected in South Africa.

“Of course, we follow the development closely, and if BA.2 is more contagious, it may mean that the wave of infections will be higher and will extend further into February compared to the previous projections,” says says Tyra Grove Krause, an infection epidemiology expert at SSI.

Limited information

The UK Health Security Agency’s preliminary assessment using contact-tracing data highlights that individuals with BA.2 are 13.4% likely to get infected themselves, on the other hand, the chances comes down to 10.3% with the earlier Omicron version.

However, comprehensive studies to estimate the impact of sub-variant on the human body are still awaited.

WHO said that the emerging BA.2 does not appear be any more severe than the original BA.1 form. But, the data on BA.2 is “really quite limited” to draw necessary conclusions. Therefore, the WHO is yet to label BA.2 as a’variant of concern’.

Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO technical lead for COVID-19 said at a press conference: “There’s not a lot of information that we have on this particular subvariant yet, but because it is part of this package of Omicron, we do know obviously that there is increased growth rate compared to other variants of concern. ”

Amid the concerns over the new variants, the WHO has called on countries that are starting to lift COVID-19 measures to do so steadily and slowly.

(With inputs from IANS)

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