New Mutation Of Omicron May Spread Even Faster; It’s Already In The US
At least two cases of omicron subvariant BA.2 were reported earlier this month in Washington state. Symptoms of infection don't appear to be any different so far from the original omicron strain. However, the "stealth" version, as it has been dubbed, does appear to be even more transmissible.
The Washington Post:
There’s A New Version Of Omicron But So Far It Doesn’t Appear To Be More Dangerous
As a new version of the highly contagious omicron variant of the coronavirus spreads in parts of Asia and Europe, the World Health Organization recommended Monday that officials begin investigating its characteristics to determine whether it poses new challenges for pandemic-weary nations. Known as BA. 2, the new version of the virus is a descendant of the omicron variant responsible for huge surges of covid-19 in the United States and elsewhere around the globe. Virologists are referring to the original omicron variant as BA. 1. (Bernstein, 1/24)
Newsweek:
Stealth Omicron COVID Variant BA.2 That May Spread Faster Found In At Least 40 Countries
Labs in countries including Denmark and Norway have reported that the sub-variant has been gaining ground, accounting for nearly half of all COVID cases in the former as of January 20, marking a sharp increase in recent weeks. Virologists say that there is much to learn about BA.2, but it appears the sub-variant may have a transmission advantage over BA.1. (Browne, 1/24)
Fox News:
Washington State Reports Two Cases Of Omicron Subvariant BA.2
A new subvariant of omicron that differs from the original variant in some mutations, including on the spike protein, has been detected in Washington state. "Two cases of BA.2, a subvariant of omicron, were detected earlier this month in Washington," a spokesperson for the Washington Department of Health told Fox News Digital on Monday. The spokesperson said that health officials do not have much information on the new subvariant, which has been reported in parts of Europe and Asia. (Best, 1/24)
Deseret News:
Stealth Omicron Variant Symptoms: What We Know So Far
Scientists are starting to express concern about a new omicron variant subvariant — nicknamed “stealth omicron” — that has accounted for more COVID-19 case numbers in recent weeks. The news: Over the weekend, multiple scientists started to talk about the new subvariants of the omicron variant, BA.2 and BA.3. ... There hasn’t been anything reported about unique omicron subvariant symptoms. So far, symptoms appear to be consistent with the omicron variant. (Scribner, 1/24)
The New York Times:
How Omicron's Mutations Allow It To Thrive
As nurses and doctors struggle with a record-breaking wave of Omicron cases, evolutionary biologists are engaged in a struggle of their own: figuring out how this world-dominating variant came to be. When the Omicron variant took off in southern Africa in November, scientists were taken aback by its genetic makeup. Whereas earlier variants had differed from the original Wuhan version of the coronavirus by a dozen or two mutations, Omicron had 53 — a shockingly large jump in viral evolution. (Zimmer, 1/24)
In related news about omicron —
CIDRAP:
WHO Chief Warns Conditions Ripe For More COVID-19 Variants
At a briefing to the World Health Organization (WHO) executive board today, its director-general warned that conditions remain ideal for new variants to emerge and that countries have the power to change the drivers of the pandemic. (Schnirring, 1/24)
The New York Times:
Omicron Offers Hope Pandemic Could Stabilize, W.H.O. Official Says
The astonishing spread of the Omicron variant could help set the stage for the pandemic to transition from overwhelming to manageable in Europe this year, a top health official said on Monday, potentially offering the world a glimpse at how countries can ease restrictions while keeping the virus at bay. That hint of hope came with a heavy dose of caution: Immunity from the surge of infections will probably wane, and new variants are likely to emerge, leaving the world vulnerable to surges that could strain health systems. In the United States, where vaccination rates are lower and death rates are considerably higher than in Western Europe, there are bigger hurdles on the path to taming the pandemic. (Mueller and Santora, 1/24)
In other research on omicron —
Reuters:
Omicron Survives Longer On Plastic, Skin Than Prior Variants
The Omicron variant can survive longer than earlier versions of the coronavirus on plastic surfaces and human skin, Japanese researchers found in laboratory tests. Its high "environmental stability" - its ability to remain infectious - might have helped Omicron replace Delta as the dominant variant and spread rapidly, they said. ... On skin, all of the variants were completely inactivated by 15 seconds of exposure to alcohol-based hand sanitizers. (1/24)
