In the United States, one-third of cases are caused by the BA.2 Omicron strain
Key Takeaways:
- The BA.2 sub-variant of Covid-19, according to the World Health Organization, is more transmissible than the already infectious omicron strain, causing an outbreak in several countries.
According to the World Health Organization, the BA.2 sub-variant of Covid-19 is more transmissible than the already infectious omicron strain, causing an outbreak in several countries.
The sub-variant, dubbed 'stealth omicron' because it presents fewer symptoms, is thought to drive rising caseloads in several countries, including China, Hong Kong, and Europe.
However, it does not appear to cause more severe disease, and preliminary data suggest that antibodies from omicron infection protect against reinfection with BA.2, according to the WHO.
Here are some of the most important Covid-19 updates:
> According to Reuters, the BA.2, or 'stealth' sub-variant of the omicron strain of the coronavirus now causes about one-third of Covid-19 cases in the US.
> BA.2 now accounts for nearly half of all cases in the northeastern United States, including New Jersey, New York, and Massachusetts, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
> The United States is registering an average of 28,600 cases per day, far less than the peak of over 800,000 cases per day seen in January.
> China has tightened restrictions to combat the disease's spread. According to ANI, the National Health Commission reported 2,010 locally transmitted cases on the mainland on Thursday.
> The number of daily confirmed new cases in Japan doubled from a day earlier to 40,928 on Wednesday, reversing a week-long decline. According to Bloomberg, the number of deaths increased for the second day to 122.
> According to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Singapore is moving forward with a plan to significantly ease long-standing restrictions, including removing most restrictions for fully immunized visitors and the requirement to wear masks outdoors.
>"Wearing a mask outside will now be optional," Lee Hsien Loong explained, "because the risk of transmission outside is significantly lower." Indoors, however, masks will still be required."
> In preliminary results from a large final-stage trial that showed modest effectiveness in reducing omicron infections, Moderna said its Covid-19 vaccine elicited a strong immune response in children under the age of six.
> As more people are inoculated against Covid, vaccine passports will likely become obsolete, according to the head of the world's largest airline alliance, who said on Thursday that differing entry requirements stymie efforts to create a common standard.