As is routine for any new variants under investigation,UKHSAis carrying out laboratory and epidemiological investigations to better understand the characteristics of this variant. New studies are being undertaken to assess this further. By the summer of 2022, the BA.5 variant was the most dominant strain in the US. The UK has been hard-hit by a further spike in Covid-19 cases in recent weeks, with infections being driven by a sub-lineage of the Omicron variant known as BA.2 or "Stealth Omicron". UKHSA is gathering scientific information as quickly as possible in order to inform the right balance of interventions to prevent transmission and protect lives. Although there was a rapid increase in SARS-CoV-2 infections in care homes during December 2021 in line with case rises in the community, there has not been an associated increase in hospital admissions. All 3 subvariants have spike protein mutations of L452 and elude immunity from prior BA1 infection. There is insufficient data to make any assessment of protection against severe disease, or to assess the severity of illness caused by Omicron. This data shows that protection against severe illness from COVID-19 remains at over 90% in those aged 65 and over up to 14 weeks after a booster dose. It is also absolutely critical that we all do what we can to reduce transmission in the community so that we have time to administer as many booster doses as possible. Apart from dizziness and fatigue, some other signs of BA.2 Omicron Variants include: Fever and body aches Loss of taste Nausea or Vomiting Abdominal pain Fever Extreme fatigue Coughing Sore throat Muscular fatigue Elevated heart rate Breathless in severe cases readmore End of Story It is critical that anyone with COVID-19 symptoms isolates and gets a PCR test immediately. The v moderate COVID-19 symptoms who are at high risk of . There is currently no evidence of community transmission within the UK. What are the most common symptoms of Omicron BA.2? Dr Jenny Harries, Chief Executive ofUKHSA, said: We are continuing our efforts to understand the effect of this variant on transmissibility, severe disease, mortality, antibody response and vaccine efficacy. Whilst the impact of these variants is uncertain, the variant classification system aims to identify potential risk as early as possible. The BA.2 subvariant of Omicron, or the "stealth" variant, has been outcompeting the previously dominant BA.1 subvariant in several countries. Vaccination remains our best defence against future COVID-19 waves, so it is still as important as ever that people come take up all the doses for which they are eligible as soon as possible. UKHSA, in partnership with scientific bodies across the globe, is constantly monitoring the status of SARS-CoV-2 variants as they emerge and develop worldwide. In England, the infection rate increased in those aged 25 years to 49 years and those aged 70 years and over in the week ending 21 February 2023. Wed like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services. As viruses mutate into new variants, they sometimes split or branch off into sub-lineages. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published its latest COVID-19 variant technical briefing. Dr Jenny Harries, UKHSA Chief Executive, said: Our latest analysis shows an encouraging early signal that people who contract the Omicron variant may be at a relatively lower risk of hospitalisation than those who contract other variants. Evidence continues to show that Omicron is transmitting more rapidly than the dominant Delta variant. UKHSA has also this week published further vaccine effectiveness data against hospitalisation following a booster dose. This suggests that, as immunity begins to wane, these newly emerging BA.2 variants may fuel future waves of SARS-CoV-2 infection. What Is Your Risk of Getting the Omicron BA.2 Subvariant? - Healthline Once again, we urge everyone who is able to get a booster jab to come forward and do so. What are the five main Omicron symptoms? - Open Access Government The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has identified 75 further cases of COVID-19 with mutations consistent with B.1.1.529 in England, in addition to the previous 29 confirmed cases of the SARS-CoV-2 variant known as B.1.1.529. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has released variant technical briefing 41. The following are the symptoms of this subvariant: The most common symptom is a sore throat that causes dryness, itching, and pain in the throat Low-grade fever Runny nose Sneezing Mild to moderate fatigue Headache SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant - Wikipedia The most common omicron-related symptoms are: Cough. Covid BA.2 Omicron variant: The key symptoms to look out for According to the ZOE study - conducted across Omicron and Delta waves for comparison - there are five key symptoms of the Omicron variant. The data so far suggests an increase in overall reinfection rates, alongside an increase in first infections. To date, there have been 426 cases of Omicron BA.2 confirmed by Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS), with the earliest dated 6 December 2021. The genome of VUI-21OCT-01 does not have many mutations compared to Delta. "We must remain vigilant and take up vaccinations. The team at ZOE, a study that tracks symptoms . According to the World Health Organization (WHO), nearly 99% of viral DNA submitted to the global GISAID database as of 25 January were identified as this sub-variant. People infected with Omicron are also less likely to experience fever or loss of taste and smell. The rapid spread of Omicron BA.2: What studies say - Medical News Today Fast-spreading new Covid stealth Omicron BA.2 variant and symptoms These groups have been prioritised for booster doses since the start of the rollout in September to increase their protection. Further information is also available in the latest variant technical briefing. Dr Meera Chand, Director of Clinical and Emerging Infections, UKHSA, said: Through our genomic surveillance we continue to see evolution of variants in the Omicron family. COVID-19 has not gone away, so it is also vitally important that people continue to follow the guidance. Taste Lost is one of the Omicron BA2 Symptoms. There can be several reasons for growth advantage, but in the case of BA.4 and BA.5, laboratory data suggests a degree of immune escape which is likely to contribute. It is vital that everyone over the age of 40 who is eligible for a booster jab comes forward as soon as possible to get increased protection against this new variant. There is now high confidence that the Omicron variant causes low severity of disease in adults. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has released a new variant technical briefing detailing updated analysis of epidemiological and genomic data relating to SARS-CoV-2 variants currently circulating in the UK, including the XBB.1.5 variant which has been increasing in the US in recent months. The total number of confirmed cases in England is now 5. The Omicron variant sub-lineage known as BA.2 has been designated a variant under investigation ( VUI-22JAN-01) by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). There are no confirmed cases in Northern Ireland. #India is another country where #SARS_CoV_2 BA.2 is rapidly replacing #Delta & #Omicron BA.1. What Is BA.2, the 'Stealth Omicron' Variant - Stealth Omicron Symptoms What is Stealth Omicron? Symptoms of the Covid variant responsible for Omicron has a deletion atposition69/70of the spike proteinwhich allows it to be tracked through S gene target failure(SGTF)in some PCR tests. We will continue to monitor this situation closely and recommend appropriate public health measures if needed. This particular recombinant, XE, has shown a variable growth rate and we cannot yet confirm whether it has a true growth advantage. Thats why its critical that anyone with COVID-19 symptoms isolates and gets a PCR test immediately.. But at that point the sub-variant still appeared to account for less than one in 20 cases. UKHSAis carrying out targeted testing at locations where the positive cases were likely to be infectious. You will not always know whether someone you come into contact with is at higher risk of becoming seriously ill from respiratory infections, including COVID-19. Vaccination is critical to help us bolster our defences against becoming severely ill from this new variant please get your first, second, third or booster jab without delay. Omicron BA.2 (B.1.1.529.2): high potential to becoming the next UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published variant technical briefing 24. India is another country where BA.2 is rapidly replacing the Delta and Omicron BA.1 variant, according to molecular biologist Bijaya Dhakal. As the coronavirus continues to evolve, a new highly contagious Omicron variant is appearing in India and other nations, including the United States, experts say.. What are the symptoms of BA.2? UKHSA is constantly monitoring the situation and working to understand the implications for public health. Telltale symptoms for Deltacron, Omicron, and the BA.2 Covid variants The designation was made on the basis that this sub-lineage has become increasingly common in the UK in recent months, and there is some early evidence that it may have an increased growth rate in the UK compared to Delta. Covid-19| 2 New Symptoms of Omicron Variant BA. 2 That Should Not be The Top Symptoms of the BA.2 Variant, According to Doctors - Parade The guidance on vaccination is changing to help all of us bolster our defences in the face of this new variant. Booster jabs are protecting people against infection and severe disease so I urge you to play your part in our national mission and get boosted now. Added breakdown of cases by local authority to latest update. As we all work to limit the high levels of transmission of this variant over the Christmas period, we are urging people to test regularly, particularly before attending social gatherings. A total 637 cases of XE a recombinant of Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 have been confirmed in the UK so far. Nine cases have also been identified in Scotland, with 5 cases in the Lanarkshire area and 4 in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area. It will take only 2 minutes to fill in. This analysis shows you are up to 8 times more likely to end up in hospital as a result of COVID-19 if you are unvaccinated. The total number of confirmed cases in England is now 104. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. There are simple things you can do in your daily life that will help reduce the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory infections and protect those at highest risk. To help us improve GOV.UK, wed like to know more about your visit today. Wear a mask in crowded places, including public transport and shops, to ensure we all help break the chains of transmission and slow the spread of this new variant. Ba.2 Omicron Variant Symptoms - SymptomsTalk.net Overall, the original Omicron lineage, BA.1, is dominant in the UK and the proportion of BA.2 cases is currently low. Case rates remain high throughout the UK and we must remain vigilant and take up vaccinations. Everybody who is contacted or has symptoms should take aPCRtest as soon as possible, even if they have received a positive COVID-19PCRtest within the last 90 days. The Philippines' Department of Health (DOH) said the BA.2 sub-lineage was already prevalent in samples it received at the end of January. SUMMARY : The basics of the Omicron sub-variant, the BA.5, which is currently the majority in France: BA.5 is more contagious than BA.2 (January wave), which was itself more contagious than BA.1 and even more than Delta (variant 2021). The sub-variant of Omicron has been detected in 57 countries now, the WHO says. Studies have also shown that Omicron infects and multiplies in the upper airways 70 times faster than the previous Delta variant. UKHSA Chief Medical Advisor, Dr Susan Hopkins said: It is increasingly evident that Omicron is highly infectious and there is emerging laboratory and early clinical evidence to suggest that both vaccine-acquired and naturally acquired immunity against infection is reduced for this variant. As part of UKHSAs routine genomic surveillance, approximately 15 to 20% of all positive PCR tests are also sent for sequencing. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has identified 8 further cases of COVID-19 with mutations consistent with B.1.1.529 in England, in addition to the previous 5 confirmed cases of the SARS-CoV-2 variant known as B.1.1.529. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published a new variant technical briefing describing ongoing work on the Omicron variant. In this analysis, the risk of hospitalisation is lower for Omicron cases with symptomatic or asymptomatic infection after 2 and 3 doses of vaccine, with an 81% (95% confidence interval 77 to 85%) reduction in the risk of hospitalisation after 3 doses compared to unvaccinated Omicron cases. Latest updates on SARS-CoV-2 variants detected in the UK. Genome sequencing among the states is not always fair. pic.twitter.com/ESQupxUet4. New 'stealth' Omicron subvariant presents two NEW symptoms, experts The latest variant technical briefing suggests that Omicron continues to grow rapidly in all regions of England as measured by confirmed cases and S gene target failure (SGTF). One study has suggested that it may be difficult to identify this variant . BQ.1 (V-22OCT-01) is a BA.5 sub-lineage which has been designated on the basis of rapid growth. Download the data.xlsx. Scientists in the UK and abroad are closely monitoring BA.2, a sub-variant of Omicron. UKHSAs latest National flu and COVID-19 surveillance report indicates that the increase in COVID-19 case rates and hospitalisations continues to show signs of slowing. Continue to exercise caution. Where individuals are identified as being a possible or probable case of Omicron, their close contacts will be contacted and advised they are required to isolate for 10 days, regardless of whether they have been vaccinated or received a negative COVID-19 test result. A runny nose, gastrointestinal. Hospital admissions are increasing, and we cannot risk the NHS being overwhelmed. For example, there are still a small number of cases of other variants, such as Alpha, in the UK which would also result in S-gene dropout or there is a lower amount of virus present in the sample where S-gene dropout cannot be confirmed. UKHSA analysis shows that the risk of hospital admission for an identified case with Omicron is reduced compared to a case of Delta. It is projected that if current trends continue unchanged, the UK will exceed one million infections a day by the end of this month. The analysis looked at 581 people with confirmed Omicron. The BA.2 variant is a sibling of the BA.1, which swept across the country over Christmas. What is the stealth omicron, or BA.2, variant? Working alongside Cambridge University MRC Biostatistics unit, UKHSA analysed 528,176 Omicron cases and 573,012 Delta cases between 22 November and 26 December to assess the risk of hospitalisation in England after testing positive for Omicron. Why Alex Murdaugh was spared the death penalty, Why Trudeau is facing calls for a public inquiry, The shocking legacy of the Dutch 'Hunger Winter', Why half of India's urban women stay at home. In total, 40 countries have uploaded 8,040 BA.2 sequences to GISAID since 17 November 2021. It is not unexpected to see new lineages and continued investigation is a normal part of the surveillance of an infectious disease. Anyone who is contacted because of a link to a probable or possible Omicron case will be asked to take a PCR test, even if they have received a positive COVID-19PCRtestwithin the last 90 days. Thats why its critical that anyone with COVID-19 symptoms isolates and gets a PCR test immediately. If the growth rate and doubling time continue at the rate we have seen in the last 2 weeks, we expect to see at least 50% of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases to be caused by Omicron variant in the next 2 to 4 weeks. AstraZeneca was the main vaccine used early in the programme in care homes and among those in clinical risk groups. Six cases of the SARS-CoV-2 variant known as B.1.1.529 have also been identified in Scotland, with 4 cases in the Lanarkshire area and 2 in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area. You have rejected additional cookies. SGTF is not a 100% accurate test for Omicron and results are regularly evaluated against sequencing to ensure they are interpreted correctly. Updated Jan. 27, 2023 The omicron subvariant of COVID-19, BA.5, became one of the dominant strains of the virus in the fall of 2022 in the U.S. At that time, it was the most easily spread strain to date and is able to evade immunity from COVID infection and vaccination. BA.2 continues to demonstrate a substantial growth advantage. Its critical that anyone with COVID-19 symptoms isolates and gets aPCRtest immediately. The most affected local authorities are West Northamptonshire, where there are 49 confirmed cases and 68 SGTF, and Manchester, where there are 7 confirmed cases and 61 SGTF. All age groups are affected, including the 75s and over, who are due a spring booster jab to top up protection. A runny nose, gastrointestinal issues, headache and a skin rash are other common signs and symptoms. UKHSA has also published a breakdown of confirmed Omicron cases and SGTF cases by local authority. The UKHSAs COVID-19 variant technical briefing 43, published today, includes epidemiological analysis that shows that Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 now make up more than half of new COVID-19 cases in England, accounting for approximately 22% and 39% of cases, respectively.
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