While signs remain encouraging on Omicrons severity compared with Delta, the high levels of community transmission continue and may cause pressures on health services. If you have any symptoms, take a test. How are Covid rules changing across UK schools? Aside from all of the usual COVID symptoms, like a dry cough, a scratchy throat, fatigue, and muscle aches, the Stealth variant is thought to cause a few other distinct issues. The omicron variant of the coronavirus was first detected in late 2021. Omicron BA.2 Variant Severity There are small numbers of cases in the UK and this designation is intended to allow investigation into the specific properties of this variant. This designation means that data relating to BA.2.75 will now be reported separately from other BA.2 cases. BA.2 omicron symptoms According to the CDC, the symptoms of Covid-19, including BA.2, are: Fever or chills Cough Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing Fatigue Muscle or body. We have now identified cases in the East Midlands, East of England, London, South East and North West. The same happened with Omicron, which includes the lineages BA.1, BA.2, BA.3 and B.1.1.529. Data continues to show COVID-19 poses a very low health risk to children and infants. We use some essential cookies to make this website work. Whilst the impact of these variants is uncertain, the variant classification system aims to identify potential risk as early as possible. 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 . The v This paper can be found as a pre-print, and the data is referred to in the latest vaccine surveillance report. What we know is that it is certainly growing as a proportion of overall cases in the UK. Following the change in JCVI advice earlier this week, 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. As part of UKHSAs routine genomic surveillance, approximately 15 to 20% of all positive PCR tests are also sent for sequencing. 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. UKHSA has also this week published further vaccine effectiveness data against hospitalisation following a booster dose. 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. 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. UKHSA is undertaking further detailed studies. Thats why its critical that anyone with COVID-19 symptoms isolates and gets aPCRtest immediately. An important question is whether BA.2 or BA.3 will become a new dominating "variant of concern". We expect the vaccines to show higher protection against the serious complications of COVID-19, so if you havent yet had your first 2 doses please book an appointment straight away. Dr Jenny Harries, Chief Executive of UKHSA, said: We are continuing our efforts to understand the effect of this variant on transmissibility, severe disease, mortality, antibody response and vaccine efficacy. The full document and underlying data is available on GOV.UK. Vaccine effectiveness against severe disease from Omicron is not yet known but is expected to be significantly higher than protection against symptomatic disease. 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. 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. It is therefore vital that people continue to exercise caution in order to limit the transmission of the virus. There were very limited numbers of BA.2 in this study and no inferences can be made regarding BA.2. Read about our approach to external linking. So far, there have been 717 V-22OCT-01 sequences uploaded from the UK to the international GISAID database. ; An increase in new cases is being . When the reduced risk of hospitalisation was combined with vaccine effectiveness against symptomatic disease, the vaccine effectiveness against hospitalisation was estimated as 52% after one dose, 72% 2 to 24 weeks after dose 2, 52% 25+ weeks after dose 2 and 88% 2 weeks after a booster dose. The first genomes of this variant were uploaded to the international GISAID database on 22 November. Since then, several sub-variants of Omicron surfaced, including BA.2, BA.3, BA.4, and BA.5. Here is what we know about it. While there is a suggestion that this wanes slightly after 15 weeks, protection in this age group remains high at over 85%. 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. Prior infection is 44% effective at preventing future infection, increasing to 71% with 3 doses of the vaccine. BA.2 has an increased growth rate compared to BA.1 in all regions of England where there are enough cases to assess it. Lower back pain. But at that point the sub-variant still appeared to account for less than one in 20 cases. The risk assessment also suggests that Omicron displays a reduction in protection offered by having had a previous infection or vaccination. Earlier COVID-19 variants affected the lung tissue more and had a higher likelihood of causing pneumonia and other severe outcomes. UKHSA analysis shows that the risk of hospital admission for an identified case with Omicron is reduced compared to a case of Delta. ; The incubation time (time to onset of symptoms) is a bit shorter: 3 days. 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. BA.1 accounts for most of the cases. This suggests that, as immunity begins to wane, these newly emerging BA.2 variants may fuel future waves of SARS-CoV-2 infection. What are the most common symptoms of Omicron BA.2? It contains epidemiological data and updated analysis of COVID-19 variants currently circulating in the UK. While growth rates can be overestimated in early analyses of a new variant, the apparent growth advantage is currently substantial. 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. 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 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. Early data shows that young children who are hospitalised experience mild illness and are discharged after short stays in hospital. An ad blocker has likely prevented this video content from loading. UKHSA is constantly monitoring the situation and working to understand the implications for public health. None of the cases to date is known to have been hospitalised or died. Case rates remain high throughout the UK and we must remain vigilant and take up vaccinations. The designation was made on the basis of increasing numbers of BA.2 sequences identified both domestically and internationally. Two variants, CH.1.1 and XBB.1.5, appear to have a growth advantage in the UK. 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. 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. However, vaccinated people are still less likely to get infected than unvaccinated individuals, and they are also less likely to pass it on. Work is underway to identify any links to travel. All 3 subvariants have spike protein mutations of L452 and elude immunity from prior BA1 infection. They say its possible that the virus has now changed its pattern and is affecting the stomach. Everyone should complete a primary course as soon as possible for most this will be a first and second dose. 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 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. UKHSAs most recent variant technical briefing can be found on GOV.UK. Symptoms of BA.2 appear to largely mirror those of the original version of the omicron variant: an upper respiratory illness that causes sore throat, cough, congestion, headache and fatigue. It has since swept the globe, eventually vanquishing other variants including delta. India is another country where BA.2 is rapidly replacing the Delta and Omicron BA.1 variant, according to molecular biologist Bijaya Dhakal. We urge these people in particular to get up-to-date. 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. We are continuing to monitor the data closely. According to the COVID Symptom Study, the five most common symptoms are the same: Runny nose, headache, fatigue, sneezing and sore throat. Approximately half of PCR tests in the UK are able to detect SGTF. All age groups are affected, including the 75s and over, who are due a spring booster jab to top up protection. There is still uncertainty around the significance of the changes to the viral genome, and further analyses will now be undertaken. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published analyses of Omicron sub-lineage BA.2. 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. For some more vulnerable a third dose is available. However, it should be noted both that this is early data and more research is required to confirm these findings. 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 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? 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. 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 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. Please take up this offer as soon as you are eligible to protect yourself, your families and your communities. 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. This matches a recent study led by Oxford University and the Office for National Statistics (ONS), using data from the COVID-19 Infection Survey produced by the latter. This will include analysing live samples of the new variant in our laboratories to investigate properties such as response to current vaccines. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published variant technical briefing 37. The analysis looked at 581 people with confirmed Omicron. Vaccine efficacy analysis continues to show lower effectiveness for symptomatic Omicron disease. UKHSA has also released a variant risk assessment for Omicron BA.4 and BA.5, summarising the emerging epidemiology and laboratory evidence. It is not clear where BA.2 originated, but it was first detected in the Philippines in November. We have started to see cases where there are no links to travel, suggesting that we have a small amount of community transmission. BA.2 is found to be able to alarmingly reinfect patients originally infected by Omicron BA.1. Runny nose/congestion. A preliminary assessment did not find evidence of a difference in vaccine effectiveness against symptomatic disease for BA.2 compared to BA.1. As we learn to live safely with COVID-19, there are actions we can all take to help reduce the risk of catching COVID-19 and passing it on to others. 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. This new UKHSA data on Omicron is promising while 2 doses of the vaccine arent enough, we know boosters offer significant protection against the variant and early evidence suggests this strain may be less severe than Delta. As with any other coronavirus (COVID-19) variant, the vast majority do not confer any advantage to the virus and die out relatively quickly. 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. Wed like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services. We should all continue to test regularly with LFDs [lateral flow devices] and take a PCR [polymerase chain reaction] test if symptoms develop.". We have also learnt that BA.2 has a slightly higher secondary attack rate than BA.1 in households. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published its latest COVID-19 variant technical briefing. 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. 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. 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. So far, vaccination means that the rise in cases is not translating to a rise in severe illness and deaths. A recombinant variant occurs when an individual becomes infected with 2 or more variants at the same time, resulting in a mixing of their genetic material within the patients body. This particular recombinant, XE, has shown a variable growth rate and we cannot yet confirm whether it has a true growth advantage. Taste Lost is one of the Omicron BA2 Symptoms. Please take up this offer as soon as you are eligible to protect yourself, your families and your communities. Until the week beginning 23 November 2021, the weekly count of cases with SGTF was routinely less than 150, making up less than 0.1% of all cases. 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. The most common omicron-related symptoms are: Cough. A booster dose was associated with a 74% reduced risk of hospitalisation in the first 2 to 4 weeks after vaccination, with the figure dropping to 66% 10 weeks or more after this dose. B.1.1.529 has a large number of mutations in the gene coding for the spike protein, and also in other parts of the viral genome. These are potentially biologically significant mutations which may change the behaviour of the virus with regards to vaccines, treatments and transmissibility. We will continue to closely analyse all available biological, epidemiological and genomic evidence for any SARS-CoV-2 variant in the UK or internationally. UKHSA will continue to designate new variants, and these will receive a variant number (in the format V-date-number). The data suggests this risk is significantly reduced following a booster vaccine, so I urge everyone to take up their booster when eligible.
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