The sub-strain Omicron BA.2 should be elevated as a 'variant of concern,'
Key takeaways:
- The BA.2 substrain of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus is "not only faster at spreading but also more likely to generate more severe sickness," according to recent laboratory studies in Japan.
Recent laboratory research in Japan concluded that the BA.2 sub-strain of the Omicron variety of the coronavirus is "not only quicker at spreading but also more likely to produce more severe illness." The exercise's recommendation has caused Dr. Eric Feigl-Ding, a distinguished American public health specialist, to advocate that BA.2 be declared a 'variant of concern' right away (VoC).
(1.) When BA.1 and BA.2 sub-strains were used to infect hamsters, it was revealed that those infected with BA.2 were sicker and had a severe lung infection. This was visible in tissue samples, as researchers discovered that BA.2 infected hamsters' lungs were more damaged than BA.1 infected hamsters' lungs.
(2) The scientists discovered that this newest subvariant, initially reported in February this year in Denmark and the United Kingdom, is resistant to antibodies produced from Covid-19 immunization through neutralization tests. This functionality can also be found in the original Omicron.
(3) BA.2 was also shown to be resistant to antibodies in persons infected with previous SARS-CoV-2 variations, as well as 'nearly entirely resistant' to several monoclonal antibody therapies used to treat this disease.
(4.) According to the authors, BA.2 has begun to 'outcompete' BA.1. According to them, this shows that the latter is more transmissible than the original Omicron.
(5.) They went on to say that whereas BA.2 is an Omicron variation, its genomic sequence is drastically different from BA.1. As per the researchers, this shows that the two sub-strains have fundamentally different virological features.
(6.) The World Health Organization (WHO) reported last week that, while BA.2 is more transmissible than BA.1, it is not more dangerous.
(7.) Omicron was initially discovered in Botswana and South Africa last year in November. Since then, the BA.1 subvariant has been discovered in a growing number of nations, outperforming older variations like Delta.