According to the CDC, the Omicron variant spreads more easily than the original SARS-CoV-2 virus and the Delta variant. 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. As is routine for any new variants under investigation, UKHSAis carrying out laboratory and epidemiological investigations to better understand the properties of this variant. The risk assessment also suggests that Omicron displays a reduction in protection offered by having had a previous infection or vaccination. We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services. There is now high confidence that the Omicron variant causes low severity of disease in adults. UKHSA has also published a breakdown of confirmed Omicron cases and SGTF cases by local authority. While on one hand, this statement gives a ray of hope that BA.2 sub variant of Omicron which was thought to be severe is mild as the BA.1 subvariant is, but on the other hand with the report of . The data so far suggests an increase in overall reinfection rates, alongside an increase in first infections. That contrasts to Denmark, where it has become dominant. 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. 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. Dr Jenny Harries, Chief Executive of the UK Health Security Agency, said: Viruses mutate often and at random, and it is not unexpected that new variants will continue to arise as the pandemic goes on, particularly while the case rate remains high. BQ.1 (V-22OCT-01) is a BA.5 sub-lineage which has been designated on the basis of rapid growth. There is currently no data on the severity of BA.2. "It's important to know and recognize all of the. The most common omicron-related symptoms are: Cough. "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. People suffering From the Omicron BA2 variant said they had fever and body Aches. 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. Analyses of sequenced SGTF samples has indicated that until mid-November, more than 99% of these were Delta cases. This analysis excludes individuals with confirmed previous COVID-19 infection. 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. These include a high temperature, a new. As of 20 December,132individuals with confirmed Omicron have been admitted to or transferred from emergency departments. A detrimental change in biological properties (changes in transmissibility, severity or immune evasion) compared to the current dominant variant. Those mutations are shared with the original omicron, but BA.2 also has . Can Nigeria's election result be overturned? 2. 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 individual tested positive after travel to the UK and is linked to travel to Southern Africa. UKHSAis 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. 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. The proportion of test results displaying SGTF has been very low in recent months but an increase has been observed in the past week. UKHSA has also published analyses related to the original Omicron strain BA.1. Take a vaccine to protect yourself against COVID-19. Over 40% of hospital admissions were in London. By the summer of 2022, the BA.5 variant was the most dominant strain in the US. Wed like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services. New studies are being undertaken to assess this further. This will include analysing live samples of the new variant in our laboratories to investigate properties including its response to current vaccines. There are indications of a small rise in children admitted to hospital, but these early signals need further investigations before we can draw any conclusions about whether Omicron causes more severe illness in children. Infection rate corrected to one million infections a day. BA.2 is found to be able to alarmingly reinfect patients originally infected by Omicron BA.1. This designation means that data relating to BA.2.75 will now be reported separately from other BA.2 cases. Professor Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Advisor, UKHSA said: Recombinant variants are not an unusual occurrence, particularly when there are several variants in circulation, and several have been identified over the course of the pandemic to date. Of 5,153 individuals identified with an Omicron infection between 1 November and 11 December 2021, 305 were linked to a previous confirmed infection and had an interval from the previous positive test of 90 days or more. Congestion. While there is a suggestion that this wanes slightly after 15 weeks, protection in this age group remains high at over 85%. Overall numbers of ICU admissions have decreased over time, but where data was available admissions with Omicron have increased from 9% to more than 50% in the most recent week. UKHSAs latest analysis suggests that Omicron BA.5 is growing 35.1% faster than Omicron BA.2, while Omicron BA.4 is growing approximately 19.1% faster. In the most recent week of data (specimen dates from 30 November 2021 reported as of 6 December), the number of cases with SGTF has increased to 705. We continue to monitor all recombinants closely, routinely through our world-leading genomic surveillance and sequencing capability. That's because there could be cross-immunity - an infection with BA.1 could offer some protection against BA.2. A booster dose for everyone over 18 years is now recommended and will be available at a minimum of 3 months from your last primary course jab. Typical meningitis symptoms include neck stiffness or pain, numbness, tingling, and sensitivity to light. 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. As we cautiously return to Plan A, I encourage you to give yourself and your loved ones the best protection possible and Get Boosted Now. 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. This paper can be found as a pre-print, and the data is referred to in the latest vaccine surveillance report. 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. BA.2 is estimated to account for approximately 93.7% of cases in England, with the highest prevalence in the South East (96.4%) and the lowest in the East Midlands (91.1%). Until we have this evidence, we must exercise the highest level of caution in drawing conclusions about any significant risks to peoples health. The Delta variant sub-lineage known as Delta AY.4.2 was designated a variant under investigation (VUI) by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) on 20 October 2021 and has been given the official name VUI-21OCT-01. 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. The BA.2 variant is a sibling of the BA.1, which swept across the country over Christmas. More recent data on Omicron cases is published regularly here. Since then, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has classified two subvariants, BA.1.1 and BA.2. Genomes have now been uploaded from South Africa, Botswana and Hong Kong but the extent of spread is not yet determined. 8 Research published in April 2022 in The Lancet also found. AstraZeneca was the main vaccine used early in the programme in care homes and among those in clinical risk groups. 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. Please take up this offer as soon as you are eligible to protect yourself, your families and your communities. 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. It will take only 2 minutes to fill in. Runny nose (especially in combination with loss of smell) A runny nose is a universal sign of cold, flu and now COVID-19. Work from home if you are able to, wear a mask indoors around other people, and ventilate indoor spaces well. UKHSA has also this week published further vaccine effectiveness data against hospitalisation following a booster dose. And in England, more than 1,000 confirmed cases of BA.2 have been identified, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). Currently there are 18 UK samples in GISAID, out of a global total of 1,086; 639 samples have been uploaded from Singapore, and it is thought that XBB may be a factor in the recent spike in cases there. After 2 doses, vaccine effectiveness was 9% and 13% respectively for BA.1 and BA.2, after 25+ weeks. Health and Social Care Secretary, Sajid Javid, said: We are learning to live with this virus and thanks to our world-leading surveillance system we can rapidly detect and carefully monitor any genetic changes to COVID-19. But the preliminary assessment found no evidence that vaccines would be any less effective against symptomatic disease for either sub-variant. It is therefore absolutely critical that we all do everything that we can to help break the chains of transmission and slow the spread of this new variant. 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. 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. BA.2 attacking abdomen instead of lungs. Of these, XD and XF are recombinants of Delta and Omicron BA.1, while XE is a recombinant of Omicron BA.1 and BA.2. We have also learnt that BA.2 has a slightly higher secondary attack rate than BA.1 in households. As set out last week, the effectiveness of all vaccines against symptomatic infection continues to be lower in all periods against Omicron compared to Delta. So far there is not enough evidence to draw conclusions about transmissibility, severity or vaccine effectiveness. People infected with Omicron are also less likely to experience fever or loss of taste and smell. BA.1 accounts for most of the cases. 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. 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.. Yet fears of another Omicron wave in the United States may be. We have now identified cases in the East Midlands, East of England, London and North West. Working from home where possible, consistently wearing masks in crowded or enclosed spaces, washing your hands regularly and isolating and getting tested if you feel unwell are also vitally important in reducing the impact of COVID-19 this winter. As with previous variants, experts believe vaccines will continue to be highly effective against severe illness, hospitalisation, and death. 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. Ongoing analysis by UKHSA has found no evidence that infection with Omicron BA.2 results in a greater risk of hospitalisation, compared to Omicron BA.1. Following the change in JCVI advice today, a booster dose for everyone over 18 years is now recommended and will be available at a minimum of 3 months from your last primary course jab. These early findings should be interpreted with caution as transmission data and dynamics can fluctuate, meaning that early findings can change quickly when new variants are identified. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published a new variant technical briefing describing ongoing work on the Omicron variant. If you have any symptoms of a respiratory infection, and a high temperature or feel unwell, try to stay at home or away from others especially those who are elderly or vulnerable. UKHSAis 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. There is currently insufficient evidence to draw conclusions about growth advantage or other properties of this variant. It remains vital that anyone with COVID-19 symptoms isolates and gets aPCRtest immediately. There is no data to suggest that BA.2 leads to more severe disease than previous Omicron sub-variants. Getting your booster jab remains the most effective way of protecting yourself and others from infection and severe disease. 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. What is the stealth omicron, or BA.2, variant? The most commonly-reported symptoms with the original Omicron variant were cough, fatigue, headache, congestion, and runny nose. UKHSA has performed an initial laboratory evaluation of the current lateral flow devices (LFDs) for COVID-19 in current use in the UK. Thanks to the expertise of scientists at UKHSA and partner organisations, were able to respond quickly to new variations of the virus. 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). Dont include personal or financial information like your National Insurance number or credit card details. A study of 8,500 households and 18,000 individuals conducted by Denmark's SSI found that BA.2 was "substantially" more transmissible than BA.1. The total number of confirmed cases in England is now 13. 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 latest Omicron SARS-CoV-2 subvariant, which scientists have labeled BA.2.12.1, is on track to become the most virulent strain in the United States currently. Due to the early nature of the findings, all estimates are subject to significant uncertainty and are subject to change. Our continued genomic surveillance allows us to further investigate variants that are growing within the UK. People aged 75 and over remain at particular risk of severe disease if they are not up to date with their vaccinations. However, it remains too early to draw any definitive conclusions on hospital severity, and the increased transmissibility of Omicron and the rising cases in the over 60s population in England means it remains highly likely that there will be significant pressure on the NHS in coming weeks. 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. 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. As viruses mutate often and at random, it is not unusual for small numbers of cases to arise featuring new sets of mutations. Delta and Omicron Cases are being eclipsed by BA2 Variant rapidly. There is currently no evidence of community transmission within the UK. When combined with VE against symptomatic disease, the reduced risk of hospitalisation climbed to 92% 2 to 4 weeks after a third dose of the vaccine, down to 83% after 10 weeks or more. Both are variants in the Omicron family. With the original version of the omicron variant, which swept across the U.S. at a dizzying speed last winter, the loss of taste and smell was not as common as with the earlier alpha and delta variants. While in the UK, the individual was in Westminster, London. In the age group of 20-50 years, significant severity is not expected. Fatigue. 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. UKHSA is gathering scientific information as quickly as possible in order to inform the right balance of interventions to prevent transmission and protect lives. As always, the booster vaccine remains the best protection against infection. Anewrisk assessment for OmicronVOC-21NOV-01 (B.1.1.529)has also been published and is available here. It has since swept the globe, eventually vanquishing other variants including delta. 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". But the latest data suggests this extra protection starts to wane more rapidly, being about 15 to 25% lower from 10 weeks after the booster dose. 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). A further 16 cases have been identified in Scotland, bringing the total in Scotland to 29. There were very limited numbers of BA.2 in this study and no inferences can be made regarding BA.2. Our data also show that 17.5 per cent of people aged 75 years and over have not had a vaccine within the past six months, putting them more at risk of severe disease. Currently, approximately half of all tests conducted in the UK are able to detect 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. All 3 subvariants have spike protein mutations of L452 and elude immunity from prior BA1 infection. However, it is not confirmatory as there are a number of other reasons that a sample might exhibit SGTF. The updated risk assessment includes indicators for infection severity in both adults and children. As part of UKHSAs routine genomic surveillance, approximately 15 to 20% of all positive PCR tests are also sent for sequencing. 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. The first genomes of this variant were uploaded to the international GISAID database on 22 November. BA.2 Symptoms Not That Different From Omicron, Delta. Our continued genomic surveillance allows us to detect them and assess whether they are significant. UKHSA has also released a variant risk assessment for Omicron BA.4 and BA.5, summarising the emerging epidemiology and laboratory evidence. Initial data suggests that LFDs are as likely to detect Omicron as other variants including Delta, which has been the dominant variant in the UK from May to December 2021. 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. Dr Chand said: "So far, there is insufficient evidence to determine whether BA.2 causes more severe illness than Omicron BA.1. 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. Everyone over 18 is now able to walk into a vaccine centre, so do not hesitate to get yours. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published its latest COVID-19 variant technical briefing. We continue to urge everyone who is eligible to get a COVID-19 vaccine and booster. A number of Omicron variants are currently circulating in England, many of which have acquired mutations which may produce a degree of immune escape. What are the symptoms of BA.2? A BA2 variant's symptoms are similar to those of Omicron. 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. We will continue to monitor this situation closely and recommend appropriate public health measures if needed. Booster doses also increase the protection against symptomatic and asymptomatic infection which will reduce transmission in the population. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has announced the emerging SARS-CoV-2 variant known as B.1.1.529 as a variant under investigation (VUI). 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 . Dr Meera Chand, UKHSA Director of Clinical an Emerging Infection, said: We continue to monitor the emergence of new variants and give them variant designations if they are sufficiently distinct to warrant separate epidemiological and laboratory assessment. Dr Meera Chand, COVID-19 Incident Director at UKHSA, said: It is the nature of viruses to evolve and mutate, so its to be expected that we will continue to see new variants emerge as the pandemic goes on. UKHSA is undertaking further detailed studies. If you have symptoms take a PCR test and isolate at home until you receive a negative result. They also say that Omicron symptoms are typically mild, and herd immunity is at . 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. The vaccination status was unknown for 6 people, while 8 had received a single dose. 1. Well be undertaking further analysis to investigate the small rise in the number of children admitted to hospital but currently coronavirus (COVID-19) poses a very low health risk to children and infants. As of January 10 2022, 53 sequences of the BA.2 sub-lineage of Omicron had been identified in the United Kingdom. In total, 40 countries have uploaded 8,040 BA.2 sequences to GISAID since 17 November 2021. 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 Trends in SGTF over and time are however affected by the coverage of laboratories contributing to this surveillance data. It is already the dominant variant in several states and likely drove the country's recent third wave of infections. #India is another country where #SARS_CoV_2 BA.2 is rapidly replacing #Delta & #Omicron BA.1. What are the most common symptoms of Omicron BA.2? This particular recombinant, XE, has shown a variable growth rate and we cannot yet confirm whether it has a true growth advantage. The individuals that have tested positive and their contacts are all isolating. These are some of the symptoms that you should be looking out for: High temperature. 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 focussed contact tracing. 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 UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published variant technical briefing 37. We have now identified cases in the East Midlands, East of England, London, South East and North West. This suggests that, as immunity begins to wane, these newly emerging BA.2 variants may fuel future waves of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The increasing prevalence of Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 is likely to be a factor in the recent increase in cases seen in the UK and elsewhere, though there is currently no evidence that Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 cause more severe illness than previous variants. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published a new variant technical briefing containing updated analysis on Omicron hospitalisation risk and vaccine efficacy against symptomatic disease and hospitalisation. Experts say BA.2 symptoms don't seem to be all that distinct from original Omicron (BA.1) or the immediately preceding Delta variant. It showed that the AstraZeneca and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines provided much lower levels of protection against symptomatic infection compared to the protection that they provide against Delta. Neither have been designated as variants of concern by UKHSA. The designation was made on the basis of increasing numbers of BA.2 sequences identified both domestically and internationally. "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 . Check benefits and financial support you can get, Find out about the Energy Bills Support Scheme, National flu and COVID-19 surveillance report, higher risk of becoming seriously ill from respiratory infections, including COVID-19, this data should be interpreted with caution, This assessment is based on analysis of UK data, data on Omicron cases is published regularly here, Six cases of the SARS-CoV-2 variant known as B.1.1.529, Investigation of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern: variant risk assessments, Investigation of SARS-CoV-2 variants: technical briefings, Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance for local government, let fresh air in if meeting others indoors, wear a face covering or a face mask, particularly if you are in crowded and enclosed spaces. An estimated 78.7% of confirmed cases in England are BA.5 which was first identified in April and was designated as a Variant of Concern on 18 May. A separate UK study also found higher transmissibility for BA.2 compared to BA.1. 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.