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However, vaccinated people are still less likely to get infected than unvaccinated individuals, and they are also less likely to pass it on. However, it should be noted both that this is early data and more research is required to confirm these findings. Data on this wont be available for several weeks. While BA.2 appears to be more transmissible than previous variants, there is no data yet to suggest that it is any more severe. UKHSA will continue to monitor the situation closely as a matter of routine, as we do all data relating to SARS-CoV-2 variants both in the UK and internationally. Other countries that have uploaded more than 100 samples are India (530), Sweden (181), and Singapore (127). We have seen a rise in hospital admissions in line with community infections but vaccinations are continuing to keep ICU admissions and deaths at low levels. Thats why its critical that anyone with COVID-19 symptoms isolates and gets aPCRtest immediately. 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. 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 . 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 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. At this point it is not possible to determine where the sublineage may have originated. 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. As part of UKHSAs routine genomic surveillance, approximately 15 to 20% of all positive PCR tests are also sent for sequencing. A runny nose, gastrointestinal. UKHSA has also this week published further vaccine effectiveness data against hospitalisation following a booster dose. BA2 Variant is overtaking Delta and Omicron Cases at rapid speed. However, some experts believe that BA.2 doesn't present symptoms different from the original Omicron. Thats why its so important that everybody, everywhere, takes simple steps to protect themselves from infection. It is still too early to determine next steps, so please stay cautious this Christmas and get your booster as soon as possible to protect yourself and your loved ones. It appears to have a growth advantage compared to the version of Omicron, BA.1, that has swept the globe. 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. Where individualsare suspected or confirmed to have theOmicron variantas the result of testing, their close contacts will be contacted by NHS Test and Trace, required to self-isolate and asked to take aPCRtest,regardless of whether they have been vaccinated. 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. 8 Research published in April 2022 in The Lancet also found. It is the best defence we have against this highly transmissible new variant. People aged 75 and over remain at particular risk of severe disease if they are not up to date with their vaccinations. Early data shows that young children who are hospitalised experience mild illness and are discharged after short stays in hospital. 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. Anewrisk assessment for OmicronVOC-21NOV-01 (B.1.1.529)has also been published and is available here. 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. It contains epidemiological data and updated analysis of COVID-19 variants currently circulating in the UK. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is reminding people to ensure their COVID-19 vaccinations are up to date and to continue following COVID-safe behaviours, as latest technical data indicates BA.4 and BA.5 have become dominant in the UK and are driving the recent increase in infections. UKHSA has also released a variant risk assessment for Omicron BA.4 and BA.5, summarising the emerging epidemiology and laboratory evidence. The most commonly-reported symptoms with the original Omicron variant were cough, fatigue, headache, congestion, and runny nose. Dr Meera Chand, Director of Clinical and Emerging Infections at UKHSA, said: The reclassification of these variants as variants of concern reflects emerging evidence on the growth of BA.4 and BA.5 internationally and in the UK. In the UK, 38 cases of XF have been identified, though none have been seen since mid February. The individuals and their households have been told to self-isolate. 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. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has released variant technical briefing 50. While growth rates can be overestimated in early analyses of a new variant, the apparent growth advantage is currently substantial. None of these cases are known to have been hospitalised or died. The data once again shows that coming forward for your jab, particularly your third dose, is the best way of protecting yourself and others against infection and severe disease. 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. "We must remain vigilant and take up vaccinations. It is projected that if current trends continue unchanged, the UK will exceed one million infections a day by the end of this month. BA.2 continues to demonstrate a substantial growth advantage. 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. 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. Since then, several sub-variants of Omicron surfaced, including BA.2, BA.3, BA.4, and BA.5. Work is underway to identify any links to travel to Southern Africa. The analysis included very small numbers of cases as only a few people in the UK currently have this variant, meaning this data should be interpreted with caution until more cases have been studied. The same happened with Omicron, which includes the lineages BA.1, BA.2, BA.3 and B.1.1.529. Prior infection is 44% effective at preventing future infection, increasing to 71% with 3 doses of the vaccine. We continue to monitor all recombinants closely, routinely through our world-leading genomic surveillance and sequencing capability. They also say that Omicron symptoms are typically mild, and herd immunity is at . Genomes have now been uploaded from South Africa, Botswana and Hong Kong but the extent of spread is not yet determined. March 31, 2022. Further studies are underway in the UK and abroad. As with previous variants, experts believe vaccines will continue to be highly effective against severe illness, hospitalisation, and death. It includes a complete list of studies planned and already under way into the emerging variant. Omicron has branched into three lineages, explains Thomas Russo, M.D., professor and chief of infectious disease at the University at Buffalo in New York: BA.1, BA.2, and BA.3. 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. 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. Everyone over 18 is now able to walk into a vaccine centre, so do not hesitate to get yours. For the first time, this data includes analysis on vaccine effectiveness 15+ weeks after the booster dose. Its not too late to catch up if youve missed boosters, or even first doses so please take your recommended vaccines. 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. Data for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is not included in the UKHSA Technical Briefing. The majority of these cases are located in London and the South East. There is currently no evidence of community transmission within the UK. Of those patients admitted to hospital,17had received a booster vaccine, 74 people had 2 doses and 27 people were not vaccinated. It is not unexpected to see new lineages and continued investigation is a normal part of the surveillance of an infectious disease. UKHSA is undertaking further detailed studies. Studies of contacts show that Omicron is transmitting more effectively than Delta. 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. News stories, speeches, letters and notices, Reports, analysis and official statistics, Data, Freedom of Information releases and corporate reports. We have also learnt that BA.2 has a slightly higher secondary attack rate than BA.1 in households. The data suggests this risk is significantly reduced following a booster vaccine, so I urge everyone to take up their booster when eligible. UKHSA is updating its variant classification system to give a clearer indication of which variants have significant changes compared to the current dominant variant. 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". Cases are currently very high in the UK, and even a relatively low proportion requiring hospitalisation could result in a significant number of people becoming seriously ill. 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. This is still a very small number of cases but is being investigated carefully to understand whether it is related to travel, any other variant or whether there is evidence of spread of Omicron beginning in the community. We continue to urge everyone who is eligible to get a COVID-19 vaccine and booster. 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. Congestion. 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. The technical briefing also includes early analysis of vaccine effectiveness against the Omicron variant compared to Delta. But it is worth noting that Denmark has seen similar trends in terms of hospital admissions and intensive care as the UK has, suggesting BA.2 does not mark a sea-change in severity. According to Boden-Albala said, those symptoms may include the following: Fever Chills Fatigue Cough Body aches Shortness of breath Sore throat Additionally, some people may report upper. As with any other coronavirus (COVID-19) variant, the vast majority do not confer any advantage to the virus and die out relatively quickly. Positive tests with sufficient virus detected from people arriving in the UK are sent for confirmation through Whole Genome Sequencing, regardless of the presence or absence of SGTF. 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. The best way that you can protect yourself is to come forward for your first 2 doses of vaccine, or your booster jab and do everything you can to stop onward transmission of the infection. The World Health Organization has been monitoring SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes Covid-19) since January 2020, during which time the variant Omicron has been identified, which is technically known as BA.1 or B.1.1.529.The WHO is now monitoring a sub-variant of Omicron, known as BA.2, which has been described as "stealth Omicron," because it has genetic mutations that potentially make it . 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. 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. The full document and underlying data is available on GOV.UK. 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 risk assessment conducted by UKHSA together with academic partners found that CH.1.1 and XBB.1.5 are currently the variants most likely to take over from BQ.1 as the next dominant variant in the UK, unless further novel variants arise. Our advanced sequencing capabilities enable us to find variants and take rapid action to limit onward spread. The most common omicron-related symptoms are: Cough. The individuals who have tested positive and their contacts are all isolating. 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. While BA.1 and BA.2 are similar, they are 20 mutations apart. 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. The omicron variant of the coronavirus was first detected in late 2021. We have now identified cases in the East Midlands, East of England, London, South East and North West. 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. 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. It is never too late to come forward for your first dose and its vital that everyone comes forward to get boosted now as we head into the new year. Runny nose (especially in combination with loss of smell) A runny nose is a universal sign of cold, flu and now COVID-19. We will continue to closely analyse all available biological, epidemiological and genomic evidence for any SARS-CoV-2 variant in the UK or internationally. Continue to exercise caution. ; The incubation time (time to onset of symptoms) is a bit shorter: 3 days. 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). However, UKHSA scientists say there is no room to be complacent. These are potentially biologically significant mutations which may change the behaviour of the virus with regards to immune escape, transmissibility or susceptibility to treatments, but this has not been proven. Data continues to show COVID-19 poses a very low health risk to children and infants. There is still uncertainty around the significance of the changes to the viral genome, and further analyses will now be undertaken. Hospital admissions are increasing, and we cannot risk the NHS being overwhelmed. 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 . UKHSA is gathering scientific information as quickly as possible in order to inform the right balance of interventions to prevent transmission and protect lives. 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. None of the cases to date is known to have been hospitalised or died. 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. SGTF is not a 100% accurate test for Omicron and results are regularly evaluated against sequencing to ensure they are interpreted correctly.