12 C
Brussels
Tuesday, September 26, 2023
ECHROmicron sublineage BA.2 remains a variant of concern

Omicron sublineage BA.2 remains a variant of concern

DISCLAIMER: Information and opinions reproduced in the articles are the ones of those stating them and it is their own responsibility. Publication in The European Times does not automatically means endorsement of the view, but the right to express it.

DISCLAIMER TRANSLATIONS: All articles in this site are published in English. The translated versions are done through an automated process known as neural translations. If in doubt, always refer to the original article. Thank you for understanding.

More from the author

Restoring safety and dignity to women in Malawi, displaced by Tropical Storm Ana

Restoring safety and dignity to women in Malawi, displaced by Tropical Storm Ana

0
Tropical Storm Ana left a trail of destruction in its wake in Malawi, particularly in hardest-hit southern districts, after it struck the country in late January. The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) has been at the forefront of efforts to help pregnant women and mothers by providing medical supplies, and reproductive services.
Over one billion obese people globally, health crisis must be reversed - WHO

Over one billion obese people globally, health crisis must be reversed – WHO

0
On World Obesity Day, marked on Friday, the World Health Organization (WHO) urged countries to do more to reverse what is a preventable health crisis.
UN health agency updates guidelines on COVID-19 therapeutics

UN health agency updates guidelines on COVID-19 therapeutics

0
The World Health Organization (WHO), for the first time, included an oral antiviral drug in its COVID-19 treatment guidance.
Over one billion people at risk of hearing loss: WHO

Over one billion people at risk of hearing loss: WHO

0
Alerting that over one billion people aged 12 to 35, risking losing their hearing due to prolonged and excessive exposure to loud music and other high volume recreational noise, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued new international safety advice on Wednesday to tackle the rising threat of hearing loss. 
The BA.2 virus, a sublineage of the Omicron COVID-19 mutation, should continue to be considered a variant of concern, scientists convened by the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a statement on Tuesday. 
BA.2 should also remain classified as Omicron, WHO’s Technical Advisory Group on SARS-CoV-2 Virus Evolution (TAG-VE)  which was held yesterday. 

SARS-CoV-2 is the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, and the expert group meets regularly to discuss available data on transmissibility and severity of variants as well as their impact on diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines. 

They stressed that public health authorities should continue to monitor BA.2 as a distinct sublineage of Omicron, currently the dominant variant circulating globally. 

Studies underway 

Omicron is made up of several sublineages, including BA.1 and BA.2, all of which are being monitored by WHO and partners. 

BA.2 is among the most common, with reported sequences increasing in recent weeks, relative to BA.1, though global circulation of all variants is currently declining. 

The experts explained that BA.2 differs from BA.1 in its genetic sequence, and that it has a growth advantage over this sublineage.  

Although studies are ongoing to understand why, initial data suggest BA.2 appears inherently more transmissible than BA.1, currently the most common Omicron sublineage reported. 

However, this difference in transmissibility appears to be much smaller than that between BA.1 and the Delta variant, the experts said. 

Overall decline reported  

Meanwhile, although BA.2 sequences are increasing in proportion relative to other Omicron sublineages, there is still a reported decline in overall cases globally. 

Furthermore, while cases of reinfection with BA.2 following infection with BA.1 have been documented, preliminary data from studies show that infection with BA.1 provides strong protection against reinfection with BA.2. 

WHO will continue to closely monitor the BA.2 lineage as part of Omicron. 

The UN agency urged countries to remain vigilant, to monitor and report sequences, and to conduct independent and comparative analyses of the different Omicron sublineages. 

Globally, there were more than 424,820,000 cases of COVID-19 as of Tuesday, and more than 5.8 million deaths, according to WHO data. 

- Advertisement -
- EXCLUSIVE CONTENT -spot_img
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -

Must read

Latest articles

- Advertisement -