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The BA.2 virus not only has been spreading faster than other variants, but has proven capable of overcoming some of the weapons the US has employed against COVID-19.
The new strain, dubbed the “stealth” Omicron variant because it’s difficult to identify due to a lack of certain genetic characteristics, appears to be on the rise, with confirmed cases of the virus in at least 40 countries, including the United States.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Omicron, which is known as B.1.1.529, has three sub-variants: the original BA.1 that remains the dominant strain, the “stealth” BA.2, which is picking up steam, and the more elusive BA.3.
New research out of Japan has found that the BA.2 subvariant may be resistant to some treatments, and has proven to cause severe illnesses in some, similar to the Delta variant.
Research has found that BA.2 has a significant transmission advantage over BA.1, meaning it has the potential to spread faster.
However, other characteristics about the variant, such as whether it leads to increased hospitalization or is more resistant to vaccines, have yet to be conclusively determined.
There have been reported cases of the subvariant in at least 47 states, according to officials.
The most recent research was posted in a preprint study on the bioRxiv server, according to reports, but has yet to be peer-reviewed or published in a medical journal.
In a Washington Post report, an anonymous source in President Joe Biden’s administration said that “there is concern about the omicron BA.2 variant.” Because of the increase in cases overseas, the person said the US is gearing up and “paying close attention to the BA.2 variant.”
The complete results of the study can be found here.
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