Under the new system, the variant of concern (VOC) label will be assigned to variants which are currently emerging or circulating, and which the following characteristics can be confirmed or predicted: 1. People aged 75 and over remain at particular risk of severe disease if they are not up to date with their vaccinations. UKHSA are continuing to monitor data on the BA.2 sub-lineage closely. Dr Meera Chand, Director of Clinical and Emerging Infection at UKHSA, said: It is not unexpected to see new variants of SARS-CoV-2 emerge. Vaccine effectiveness against severe disease from Omicron is not yet known but is expected to be significantly higher than protection against symptomatic disease. Based on the CDC's genomic surveillance, the BA.2 or stealth Omicron subvariant is responsible for most new SARS-CoV-2 infections in the U.S. BA.2 is a subvariant of the original SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant (B.1.1.529), along with BA.1.1 and BA.3. Data and analysis will be released in due course through our regular surveillance reporting. This is to be expected and UKHSA is monitoring the situation closely. Case rates remain high throughout the UK and we must remain vigilant and take up vaccinations. These are some of the symptoms that you should be looking out for: High temperature. The five key Omicron symptoms. Congestion. Of those with Omicron, 9.5% have had COVID-19 before, which is likely to be a substantial underestimate of the proportion of reinfections, as many prior infections will have been asymptomatic and not picked up by the analysis. According to Baric, Omicron is the first SARS-CoV-2 variant to evolve in the context of mounting immunity in the populationthe result of vaccines and prior infection with other forms of the . There are insufficient severe cases of Omicronas yetto analyse vaccine effectiveness against hospitalisation, but this is more likely to be sustained, particularly after a booster. Lower back pain. This sub-lineage, which was designated by Pangolin on 6 December 2021, does not have the spike gene deletion at 69-70 that causes S-gene target failure (SGTF), which has previously been used as a proxy to detect cases of Omicron. It contains epidemiological data and updated analysis of COVID-19 variants currently circulating in the UK. 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. Please make sure to wear a mask in line with government guidance, including on public transport and in shops, to help break the chains of transmission and slow the spread of this new variant. The most common omicron-related symptoms are: Cough. According to the ZOE study - conducted across Omicron and Delta waves for comparison - there are five key symptoms of the Omicron variant. Omicron BA.4 and Omicron BA.5 were designated as variants of concern on 18 May on the basis of an apparent growth advantage over the previously-dominant Omicron BA.2 variant. 8 Research published in April 2022 in The Lancet also found. 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. So far, there is insufficient evidence to determine whether BA.2 causes more severe illness than Omicron BA.1, but data is limited and UKHSA continues to investigate. 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. We have started to see cases where there are no links to travel, suggesting that we have a small amount of community transmission. Whilst there are insufficient data to quantify either vaccine effectiveness or risk of reinfection in the UK exactly, the observed growth, case distribution and early analyses in both South Africa and the UK are consistent with some loss of immune protection against infection. Thanks to the expertise of scientists at UKHSA and partner organisations, were able to respond quickly to new variations of the virus. There is further data showing that effectiveness against symptomatic disease is significantly lower compared to the Delta variant, and wanes more quickly. We will continue to closely analyse all available biological, epidemiological and genomic evidence for any SARS-CoV-2 variant in the UK or internationally. The newest COVID variant taking the world by storm is Omicron's stealthy sub-variant BA.2, and it seems to have brought on a new barrage of gastrointestinal symptoms with it. Dr Chand said: "So far, there is insufficient evidence to determine whether BA.2 causes more severe illness than Omicron BA.1. According to Denmark's Statens Serum Institut (SSI), BA.2 infections rose to account for about half of the country's reported Covid cases in January. Face coverings in crowded indoor spaces and hand washing will help to reduce transmission of infection and are especially important if you have any respiratory symptoms. The COVID Omicron sub-variant BA.2, informally dubbed the "Stealth Omicron" variant, is able to reinfect people who have already had Omicron, a new study suggests. Both are variants in the Omicron family. In a subgroup analysis of 4,800 people who were triple-vaccinated and infected with an omicron variant, the authors found that people with BA.2 were 64 percent more likely than BA.1-infected . "Looking at other countries where BA.2 is now overtaking, we're not seeing any higher bumps in hospitalisation than expected," the WHO's Dr Boris Pavlin says. Hospital admissions are increasing, and we cannot risk the NHS being overwhelmed. Work is underway to identify any links to travel. Further information is also available in the latest variant technical briefing. BQ.1 (V-22OCT-01) is a BA.5 sub-lineage which has been designated on the basis of rapid growth. As with previous variants, experts believe vaccines will continue to be highly effective against severe illness, hospitalisation, and death. Scratchy throat. ; An increase in new cases is being . The worst symptom is a "throat on fire," said University of California, San Francisco's Dr. Peter Chin-Hong. Vaccine efficacy analysis continues to show lower effectiveness for symptomatic Omicron disease. Nine cases have also been identified in Scotland, with 5 cases in the Lanarkshire area and 4 in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area. While BA.1 and BA.2 are similar, they are 20 mutations apart. It is also vital to continue with all the other precautions we have become used to throughout the pandemic keep indoor areas well ventilated, wear a face covering in enclosed spaces, and take a rapid lateral flow (or LFD) test before a situation where you may be at high risk of catching or passing on the virus. We have also learnt that BA.2 has a slightly higher secondary attack rate than BA.1 in households. BA.1 accounts for most of the cases. That's because there could be cross-immunity - an infection with BA.1 could offer some protection against BA.2. If you have any symptoms, take a test. The BA.2 subvariant has been referred to as stealth Omicron because it contains genetic mutations that can make it harder to distinguish from the . ROCHESTER, Minn. The World Health Organization designated COVID-19 variant B.1.1.529, named omicron, a "variant of concern" on Nov. 26, 2021, and the first confirmed case in the U.S. was on Dec. 1, 2021. Its not too late to catch up if youve missed boosters, or even first doses so please take your recommended vaccines. Of symptomatic cases, loss of smell and taste was found to be more common in people who tested positive for Delta than those who had Omicron. Our continued genomic surveillance allows us to detect them and assess whether they are significant. Omicron has a deletion atposition69/70of the spike proteinwhich allows it to be tracked through S gene target failure(SGTF)in some PCR tests. The latest number of COVID-19 cases with mutations consistent with B.1.1.529 in England are published on UKHSAs social media channels. The population rate of people becoming infected with Omicron after having previously contracted COVID-19 has increased sharply. According to the CDC, the Omicron variant spreads more easily than the original SARS-CoV-2 virus and the Delta variant. AstraZeneca was the main vaccine used early in the programme in care homes and among those in clinical risk groups. The total number of confirmed cases in England is now 104. This analysis found that the risk of presentation to emergency care or hospital admission with Omicron (testing for symptomatic or asymptomatic infection) was approximately half of that for Delta, while the risk of hospital admission alone with Omicron was approximately one-third of that for Delta. Wed like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services. 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. This includes analysing live samples of the new variant in our laboratories to investigate properties such as response to current vaccines. If you have symptoms take a PCR test and isolate at home until you receive a negative result. 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. This new mutation dubbed BA.2.75 is concerning scientists because it appears to spread fast, bypassing the protection offered by COVID-19 vaccines and immunity from previous infection, the Associated Press reported Monday. 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. So far, vaccination means that the rise in cases is not translating to a rise in severe illness and deaths. XD has not been identified in the UK to date, though 49 cases have been reported to global databases, the majority of these are in France. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published the latest variant technical briefing. They save lives and prevent serious illness. Currently, the Omicron variant has BA.1, BA.2, BA.3, and B.1.1.529 sub-variants, of which the BA.1 was dominant a few months before, and scientists have recently warned about the BA.2 sub-variant . The early observations for 2 doses of AstraZeneca are particularly likely to be unreliable as they are based on small numbers and are likely to reflect an older population and a population with more co-morbidities than those given the Pfizer vaccine. BA.2 Omicron Subvariant Can Damage Your Lungs, Cause More Severe Disease Than You Can Expect: Study BA.2 Omicron Subvariant Can Damage Your Lungs, Cause More Severe Disease Than You Can. The genome of VUI-21OCT-01 does not have many mutations compared to Delta. In a lot of ways, it's a bad cold, a lot of respiratory symptoms, stuffy nose, coughing, body aches and fatigue," said Dr. Dennis Cunningham, the system medical director of infection control and. They also say that Omicron symptoms are typically mild, and herd immunity is at . Sajid Javid, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, said: Todays new data shows how important booster jabs are to protect us against this variant. Updated analysisshows theadditional incremental benefit from each vaccine exposureincluding for boosters, even in those who have had prior infection. Vaccination is critical to help us bolster our defences against this new variant please get your first, second, third or booster jab without delay. The total number of confirmed cases in England is now 22. A runny nose, gastrointestinal. 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. The BA.2 variant is a sibling of the BA.1, which swept across the country over Christmas. The symptoms of omicron BA.2.75 are mostly flu-like and may last more than 4-5 days. However, it should be noted both that this is early data and more research is required to confirm these findings. 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. Many people who have Omicron say it feels like a common cold, and here are the 8 early warning signs you need to look out for. Overall, data shows significant reductions in neutralisation against several of the newly emergent variants (BA.2.75.2, BA.2.3.20 and BJ.1), compared to BA.2, BA.4 and the dominant BA.5. The data so far suggests an increase in overall reinfection rates, alongside an increase in first infections. 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. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Advisor at UKHSA, said: This latest set of analysis once again demonstrates that a booster dose of the vaccine provides you with significant protection against hospitalisation from Omicron. Runny nose (especially in combination with loss of smell) A runny nose is a universal sign of cold, flu and now COVID-19. Everybody who is contacted or has symptoms should take a PCR test as soon as possible, even if they have received a positive COVID-19 PCR test within the last 90 days. It was designated a variant of concern (VOC) on Saturday 27 November. Things you can choose to do are: The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has elevated the classification of the COVID-19 variants Omicron BA.4 and Omicron BA.5 to variants of concern (VOCs) on the basis of observed growth. COVID-19 has not gone away, so it is also vitally important that people continue to follow the guidance. The BA.2 subvariant of the COVID-19 virus is now the dominant coronavirus strain in the world, and while health officials are saying the subvariant acts like the original omicron version of the . The variant technical briefing also includes updated analysis on Omicron BA.2, currently the dominant variant in the UK. Runny nose. [92] Reactions [ edit] Vaccine producers [ edit] Over 40% of hospital admissions were in London. Vaccination is critical to help us bolster our defences against this new variant so please get your first, second, third or booster jab as soon as you are eligible to protect yourself, your families and your communities. In its early days, the variant caused an alarming spike in COVID-19 cases in South Africathey went from 300 a day in mid-November 2021 to 3,000 a day at the end of that month. Our data shows that LFD tests are similarly able to detect COVID-19 in individuals who have been exposed to Omicron as in those exposed to previous variants. What is the stealth omicron, or BA.2, variant? Typical meningitis symptoms include neck stiffness or pain, numbness, tingling, and sensitivity to light. Data for the devolved administrations will follow in due course. To help us improve GOV.UK, wed like to know more about your visit today. Follow the latest self-isolation rules if you develop symptoms wear a mask where required to do so, take regular LFD tests and observe good hand hygiene. So, like the original omicron strain (BA.1), the primary symptoms of a mild BA.2 infection are a cough, fever, fatigue and possible loss of taste or smell. This will include analysing live samples of the new variant in our laboratories to investigate properties including its response to current vaccines. In India, BA.2 is rapidly replacing the Delta and Omicron BA.1 variants of Covid, BA.2 was first detected in the Philippines, About half of new cases in Denmark are caused by BA.2, AOC under investigation for Met Gala dress, Mother who killed her five children euthanised, Alex Murdaugh jailed for life for double murder, The children left behind in Cuba's exodus, Zoom boss Greg Tomb fired without cause, US sues Exxon over nooses found at Louisiana plant. But at that point the sub-variant still appeared to account for less than one in 20 cases. Where variant information was available, the majority of intensive care unit (ICU) admissions from 24 November 2021 to 19 January 2022 had Delta infections. SGTF is a useful indicator of the presence of Omicron, because as a rule Delta cases have the S-gene and Omicron cases do not. Work is underway to identify any links to travel to Southern Africa. We now know that BA.2 has an increased growth rate which can be seen in all regions in England. No cases have been identified in the UK. Francois Balloux, Professor of Computational Systems Biology and director of the UCL Genetics Institute, said that BA.1 and BA.2 "can be considered as two epidemiologically largely equivalent sub-lineages of Omicron". Omicron soon began branching off into a number of subvariants: BA.2 took off in the spring, and BA.5 came to dominate towards the end of the summer. Omicron BA.2.75, the variant derived from the BA.2 lineage which was identified internationally earlier this month, has now been categorised as a separate variant and given the designation V-22JUL-01. The BA.2 subvariant of Omicron, or the "stealth" variant, has been outcompeting the previously dominant BA.1 subvariant in several countries. A number of Omicron variants are currently circulating in England, many of which have acquired mutations which may produce a degree of immune escape. Currently, no experimental data has been reported about BA.2 and BA.3. Whilst Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 are in the early stages of growth in the UK, analysis of the available data suggests that they are likely to have a growth advantage over the currently-dominant Omicron BA.2 variant. There are also hybrid strains, such as XE, which is a combination of BA.1 and BA.2 By Alex Finnis Increased case detection through focused contact tracing has led to more cases of the Omicron variant being identified and confirmed, as we have seen in other countries globally. UKHSA has performed an initial laboratory evaluation of the current lateral flow devices (LFDs) for COVID-19 in current use in the UK. The individual is no longer in the UK, but UKHSA is carrying out targeted testing at locations where the positive case visited when they were likely to have been infectious. The most commonly-reported symptoms with the original Omicron variant were cough, fatigue, headache, congestion, and runny nose. UKHSA is gathering scientific information as quickly as possible in order to inform the right balance of interventions to prevent transmission and protect lives. Following the change in Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advice yesterday, a booster dose for everyone over 18 years is now recommended at a minimum of 3 months from your last primary course jab. Its critical that anyone with COVID-19 symptoms isolates and gets a PCR test immediately. By the summer of 2022, the BA.5 variant was the most dominant strain in the US. I urge you to come forward as soon as youre eligible to help keep yourself and your loved ones safe. It is testament to the diligence and scientific expertise of my colleagues at UKHSA, and the genomic sequencing capacity developed through the pandemic, that this new variant has been identified and analysed so quickly. It is very likely that we will find more cases over the coming days as we are seeing in other countries globally and as we increase case detection through focused contact tracing. In the last week, VUI-21OCT-01 accounted for approximately 6% of all Delta cases. Omicron BA2 symptoms include taste loss. BA.2.75.2 as a new variant but singled it out as an . We use some essential cookies to make this website work. What we know is that it is certainly growing as a proportion of overall cases in the UK. The breakdown of cases by local authority is: The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has identified 9 further cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) with mutations consistent with B.1.1.529 in England, in addition to the previous 13 confirmed cases of the SARS-CoV-2 variant known as B.1.1.529. Studies in the UK reveal (where stealth Omicron is already spreading at a high rate) that people infected with the sub-variant show gut-related . Well send you a link to a feedback form. UKHSA is carrying out targeted testing at locations where the positive cases were likely to be infectious. The two most reported symptom of patients infected by the Stealth Omicron variant is -dizziness and fatigue. 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 Please wear face coverings in line with government guidance, let in fresh air when mixing indoors and wash your hands regularly. UKHSA is undertaking further detailed studies. As of May 2022, BA.2.12.1 was spreading in the US and two new subvariants of Omicron named BA.4 and BA.5, first detected in January 2022, spread in South Africa. The highly transmissible Omicron variant now accounts for half of the world's infections. The Omicron variant of Covid-19 includes the lineages BA.1, BA.2, BA.3 and B.1.1.529. This is early-stage analysis and we continue to monitor the data hour by hour. 1 case has been identified in Wales. They could be strangers (for example people you sit next to on public transport) or people you may have regular contact with (for example friends and work colleagues). Spector shared a list of symptom prevalence from people who had tested positive for COVID, most of whom were estimated to have caught BA.2, he said. Data by variant related to intensive care unit admissions is presented and an analysis into the effect of the recent surge of Omicron cases in care homes is also available in the latest technical briefing. Vaccination is critical to help us bolster our defences against this new variant please get your first, second, third or booster jab without delay. The new strain has several key mutations, with the most important of those occurring in the spike protein that studs the outside of the virus. Cases have been confirmed through whole genome sequencing in all 9 regions of England. This paper can be found as a pre-print, and the data is referred to in the latest vaccine surveillance report. It contains updated analysis on Omicron hospitalisation risk, vaccine efficacy against symptomatic disease from Omicron, and the COVID-19 reinfection rate. BA2 Variant is overtaking Delta and Omicron Cases at rapid speed. Other countries that have uploaded more than 100 samples are India (530), Sweden (181), and Singapore (127). This suggests that, as immunity begins to wane, these newly emerging BA.2 variants may fuel future waves of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published a new variant technical briefing containing an updated Omicron risk assessment, alongside analysis on vaccine efficacy, sub-lineages and symptoms. Dr Mary Ramsay, Head of Immunisation at UKHSA, said: These early estimates should be treated with caution but they indicate that a few months after the second jab, there is a greater risk of catching the Omicron variant compared to Delta strain. UKHSA is acting to get scientific information available as quickly as possible in order to inform the right balance of interventions to prevent transmission and protect lives. Genome sequencing among the states is not always fair. pic.twitter.com/ESQupxUet4. 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 In some countries, BA.2 accounts for more than half of sequenced Omicron cases, it adds. We have now identified cases in the East Midlands, East of England, London and North West. If you develop any symptoms, isolate immediately and get a PCR test. Added breakdown of cases by local authority to latest update. 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 most important thing everyone can do now is to get any vaccine dose that you are eligible for it is by far the most effective action you can take to protect yourself, your families and your communities. One dose of any vaccine was associated with a 35% reduced risk of hospitalisation among symptomatic cases with the Omicron variant, 2 doses with a 67% reduction up to 24 weeks after the seconddose and a 51% reduced risk 25 or more weeks after the seconddose. 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. Omicron BA.2.75, the variant derived from the BA.2 lineage which was identified internationally earlier this month, has now been categorised as a separate variant and given the. 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. As of 17 May, 115 cases of BA.4 and 80 cases of BA.5 have been confirmed in England and the latest UKHSA variant technical briefing has been published today. 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. A further case has been identified in Scotland, bringing the total to 10. Analysis from routine contact tracing data indicates that transmission is likely to be higher among contacts of BA.2 cases in households (13.4%) than those for contacts of other Omicron cases(10.3%) in the period 27 December 2021 to 11 January 2022. A thirddose was associated with a 68% (95% confidence interval 52 to 82%) reduced risk of hospitalisation when compared to similar unvaccinated individuals. There will be no other categorisation of variants, including no variant under investigation (VUI) category. There will be a coprimary endpoint : Neutralizing antibody titers against the SARS-CoV-2 variant of most prominent public health interest according to pandemic evolution (among D614G, B.1.351, Omicron sub-variants BA.4-5, BQ1.1 and XBB or another recent variant) and against one of the variant targeted by the vaccines. Experts say BA.2 has extensive mutations and is about 40 percent more infectious than the original Omicron variant. UKHSA Chief Executive, Jenny Harries said: I want to thank everyone who has been working globally and locally to help us act incredibly quickly in response to the Omicron variant. UKHSAs new analysis examines 3 recombinants, known as XF, XE, and XD. 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. While specific symptoms to BA.2 are not yet available, the NHS lists the main symptoms for Covid-19 as: a high temperature a new, continuous cough a. While there is a suggestion that this wanes slightly after 15 weeks, protection in this age group remains high at over 85%. "The symptoms of the Omicron variant, which includes the BA.2 lineage, and the Delta variant, are similar," says Dr. Erica Johnson, MD, the chair of the Infectious Disease Board of the . An ad blocker has likely prevented this video content from loading. However, it is not confirmatory as there are a number of other reasons that a sample might exhibit SGTF. An individual with Omicron is estimated to be between 31 and 45% less likely to attend A&E compared to Delta, and 50 to 70% less likely to be admitted to hospital. #India is another country where #SARS_CoV_2 BA.2 is rapidly replacing #Delta & #Omicron BA.1. This assessment is based on analysis of UK data showing increased household transmission risk, increased secondary attack rates (such as the chance of each case infecting another individual) and increased growth rates compared to Delta. These groups have been prioritised for booster doses since the start of the rollout in September to increase their protection.