Case rates remain high throughout the UK and we must remain vigilant and take up vaccinations. That's because there could be cross-immunity - an infection with BA.1 could offer some protection against BA.2. ; The incubation time (time to onset of symptoms) is a bit shorter: 3 days. There is no data to suggest that BA.2 leads to more severe disease than previous Omicron sub-variants. The UK has been hard-hit by a further spike in Covid-19 cases in recent weeks, with infections being driven by a sub-lineage of the Omicron variant known as BA.2 or "Stealth Omicron". Everybody who is contacted or has symptoms should take aPCRtest as soon as possible, even if they have received a positive COVID-19PCRtest within the last 90 days. A detrimental change in biological properties (changes in transmissibility, severity or immune evasion) compared to the current dominant variant. Approximately half of PCR tests in the UK are able to detect SGTF. There is currently no evidence of community transmission within the UK. So far, vaccination means that the rise in cases is not translating to a rise in severe illness and deaths. However, the preliminary data showed effectiveness against the new variant appears to increase considerably in the early period after a booster dose, providing around 70% to 75% protection against symptomatic infection. The five most common symptoms of Omicron are: runny nose;. Yet fears of another Omicron wave in the United States may be. Its not too late to catch up if youve missed boosters, or even first doses so please take your recommended vaccines. BQ.1 (V-22OCT-01) is a BA.5 sub-lineage which has been designated on the basis of rapid growth. The risk of catching or passing on COVID-19 is greatest when someone who is infected is physically close to, or sharing an enclosed or poorly ventilated space with, other people. It is testament to the diligence and scientific expertise of my colleagues at UKHSA, and the genomic sequencing capacity developed through the pandemic, that this new variant has been identified and analysed so quickly. At this point it is not possible to determine where the sublineage may have originated. This analysis excludes individuals with confirmed previous COVID-19 infection. Please make sure you follow all the available guidance. Runny or congested nose Feeling fatigued Headache New, continuous cough Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing Muscle or body aches New loss of a sense of taste or smell Sore throat Nausea or vomiting Diarrhoea They advise that if you develop one or more of these symptoms you should take a Covid test as soon as possible. Vaccination is critical to help us bolster our defences against this new variant please get your first, second or booster jab without delay. This is not an unusual occurrence and several recombinant SARS-CoV-2 variants have been identified over the course of the pandemic. It includes a complete list of studies planned and already under way into the emerging variant. As the coronavirus continues to evolve, a new highly contagious Omicron variant is appearing in India and other nations, including the United States, experts say.. They also say that Omicron symptoms are typically mild, and herd immunity is at . The Omicron variant of Covid-19 includes the lineages BA.1, BA.2, BA.3 and B.1.1.529. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has released a new variant technical briefing detailing updated analysis of epidemiological and genomic data relating to SARS-CoV-2 variants currently circulating in the UK, including the XBB.1.5 variant which has been increasing in the US in recent months. As is routine for any new variants under investigation,UKHSAis carrying out laboratory and epidemiological investigations to better understand the characteristics of this variant. 34 Subsequent studies that were performed in periods when a mix of BA.1, BA.2, BA.4, and BA.5 viruses circulated have reported low effectiveness of a second booster against . BA.2 infections in Germany are also growing faster than BA.1 and Delta, according to Dr Meera Chand, Covid-19 director at the UKHSA. Download the data.xlsx. XD has not been identified in the UK to date, though 49 cases have been reported to global databases, the majority of these are in France. So far there is not enough evidence to draw conclusions about transmissibility, severity or vaccine effectiveness. One case is located in Camden, London, and one case is located in Wandsworth, London. Fatigue. These groups have been prioritised for booster doses since the start of the rollout in September to increase their protection. SGTF is not a 100% accurate test for Omicron and results are regularly evaluated against sequencing to ensure they are interpreted correctly. The odds of reporting long COVID symptoms four to eight weeks after a first COVID-19 infection were 21.8% higher after an infection compatible with Omicron BA.2 than Omicron BA.1 among adults who were triple-vaccinated when infected; this was after adjusting for socio-demographic characteristics and time since last COVID-19 vaccination. 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. Scratchy throat. Since BA.2 is a sub-strain of the Omicron variant, it is expected that its symptoms will be similar. It is not unexpected to see new lineages and continued investigation is a normal part of the surveillance of an infectious disease. Omicron soon began branching off into a number of subvariants: BA.2 took off in the spring, and BA.5 came to dominate towards the end of the summer. The most commonly-reported symptoms with the original Omicron variant were cough, fatigue, headache, congestion, and runny nose. A thirddose was associated with a 68% (95% confidence interval 52 to 82%) reduced risk of hospitalisation when compared to similar unvaccinated individuals. Thats why its critical that anyone with COVID-19 symptoms isolates and gets a PCR test immediately. 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 . We use some essential cookies to make this website work. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has identified 7 further cases of COVID-19 with mutations consistent with B.1.1.529 in England, in addition to the previous 22 confirmed cases of the SARS-CoV-2 variant known as B.1.1.529. Now more countries, particularly in Asia and Europe, are reporting an increase in cases driven by BA.2. Previous variants of concern which no longer meet the criteria will be redesignated. However, it should be noted both that this is early data and more research is required to confirm these findings. Get vaccinated and, for those eligible, come forward for your third or booster dose as appropriate as soon as you are called. However, it is not confirmatory as there are a number of other reasons that a sample might exhibit SGTF. The full document and underlying data is available on GOV.UK. 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. They are our best defence and we have turbocharged our rollout programme inviting 7 million more people over the age of 40 to get their booster jab so even more people get protection from this disease. The most affected local authorities are West Northamptonshire, where there are 49 confirmed cases and 68 SGTF, and Manchester, where there are 7 confirmed cases and 61 SGTF. UKHSAs most recent variant technical briefing includes examination of a number of recombinant variants which have been identified in the UK, as well as updated epidemiological and genomic analysis of Omicron BA.2. Work is underway to identify any links to travel to Southern Africa. UKHSA is updating its variant classification system to give a clearer indication of which variants have significant changes compared to the current dominant variant. But the latest data suggests this extra protection starts to wane more rapidly, being about 15 to 25% lower from 10 weeks after the booster dose. There will be a coprimary endpoint : Neutralizing antibody titers against the SARS-CoV-2 variant of most prominent public health interest according to pandemic evolution (among D614G, B.1.351, Omicron sub-variants BA.4-5, BQ1.1 and XBB or another recent variant) and against one of the variant targeted by the vaccines. Wed like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services. Although there was a rapid increase in SARS-CoV-2 infections in care homes during December 2021 in line with case rises in the community, there has not been an associated increase in hospital admissions. Because of a quirk in how it shows up in test results, we can see the numbers of suspected BA.2 doubled in the week up to 24 January. 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 B.1.1.529variant includes a large number of spike protein mutations as well as mutations in other parts of the viral genome. People aged 75 and over remain at particular risk of severe disease if they are not up to date with their vaccinations. This suggests that BA.5 is likely to become the dominant COVID-19 variant in the UK. Data continues to show COVID-19 poses a very low health risk to children and infants. UKHSA analysis shows that the risk of hospital admission for an identified case with Omicron is reduced compared to a case of Delta. The two most reported symptom of patients infected by the Stealth Omicron variant is -dizziness and fatigue. The sub-variant of Omicron has been detected in 57 countries now, the WHO says. We should all continue to test regularly with LFDs and take a PCR test if symptoms develop. The total number of confirmed cases in England is now 13. 1. Work from home if you are able to, wear a mask indoors around other people, and ventilate indoor spaces well. The guidance on vaccination is changing to help all of us bolster our defences in the face of this new variant. 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 focused contact tracing. Runny nose/congestion. ; An increase in new cases is being . For example, there are still a small number of cases of other variants, such as Alpha, in the UK which would also result in S-gene dropout or there is a lower amount of virus present in the sample where S-gene dropout cannot be confirmed. The analysis looked at 581 people with confirmed Omicron. Continue to exercise caution. 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. Any variants showing evidence of spread are rapidly assessed. Please also make sure to follow all Government guidance to reduce the spread of infection. Work is underway to identify any links to travel. COVID-19 has not gone away, so it is also vitally important that people continue to follow the guidance. As viruses mutate often and at random, it is not unusual for small numbers of cases to arise featuring new sets of mutations. Vaccine effectiveness against severe disease from Omicron is not yet known but is expected to be significantly higher than protection against symptomatic disease. Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Advisor at UKHSA, said: This latest set of analysis once again demonstrates that a booster dose of the vaccine provides you with significant protection against hospitalisation from Omicron. The latest data confirmed that among those who had received 2 doses of AstraZeneca, there was no effect against Omicron from 20 weeks after the second dose. UKHSA is undertaking further detailed studies. The symptoms of omicron BA.2.75 are mostly flu-like and may last more than 4-5 days. Following the first 2 confirmed cases of the SARS-CoV-2 variant known as B.1.1.529 on 27 November, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has identified one further case of COVID-19 with mutations consistent with B.1.1.529 in the UK. A separate UK study also found higher transmissibility for BA.2 compared to BA.1. Following the change in JCVI advice today, 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. In addition, UKHSA has published data which shows the detection of cases exhibiting S-gene target failure (SGTF) in recent weeks across the country. Both have links to travel to Southern Africa. 2 or Stealth Omicron causes. Runny nose (especially in combination with loss of smell) A runny nose is a universal sign of cold, flu and now COVID-19. The first sequences were submitted from the Philippines, and most samples have been uploaded from Denmark (6,411). Based on the CDC's genomic surveillance, the BA.2 or stealth Omicron subvariant is responsible for most new SARS-CoV-2 infections in the U.S. BA.2 is a subvariant of the original SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant (B.1.1.529), along with BA.1.1 and BA.3. 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 data suggests this risk is significantly reduced following a booster vaccine, so I urge everyone to take up their booster when eligible. One dose of any vaccine was associated with a 35% reduced risk of hospitalisation among symptomatic cases with the Omicron variant, 2 doses with a 67% reduction up to 24 weeks after the seconddose and a 51% reduced risk 25 or more weeks after the seconddose. 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 . 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. UKHSA has performed an initial laboratory evaluation of the current lateral flow devices (LFDs) for COVID-19 in current use in the UK. BA.2 is estimated to account for approximately 93.7% of cases in England, with the highest prevalence in the South East (96.4%) and the lowest in the East Midlands (91.1%). This is to be expected and UKHSA is monitoring the situation closely. The increasing prevalence of Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 is likely to be a factor in the recent increase in cases seen in the UK and elsewhere, though there is currently no evidence that Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 cause more severe illness than previous variants. UKHSA are continuing to monitor data on the BA.2 sub-lineage closely. Dr Jenny Harries, Chief Executive of the UK Health Security Agency, said: Viruses mutate often and at random, and it is not unexpected that new variants will continue to arise as the pandemic goes on, particularly while the case rate remains high. 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). SGTF is a useful indicator of the presence of Omicron, because as a rule Delta cases have the S-gene and Omicron cases do not. It is the best defence we have against this highly transmissible new variant. However, any stay in hospital for a child is too long if youre a parent and its important we all take precautions to avoid the spread of infection. 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. For the first time, this data includes analysis on vaccine effectiveness 15+ weeks after the booster dose. Those mutations are shared with the original omicron, but BA.2 also has . Wear a mask in crowded spaces and, when meeting people indoors, open windows and doors to ventilate the room. Teams nationally and locally are working at pace to identify and trace all close contacts of every Omicron case. We continue to monitor all recombinants closely, routinely through our world-leading genomic surveillance and sequencing capability. We continue to urge everyone who is eligible to get a COVID-19 vaccine and booster. The most important thing everyone can do now is to get any vaccine dose that you are eligible for it is by far the most effective action you can take to protect yourself, your families and your communities. 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. As of 20 December,132individuals with confirmed Omicron have been admitted to or transferred from emergency departments. Evidence continues to show that Omicron is transmitting more rapidly than the dominant Delta variant. Early data shows that young children who are hospitalised experience mild illness and are discharged after short stays in hospital. Experts say BA.2 has extensive mutations and is about 40 percent more infectious than the original Omicron variant. We are working as fast as possible to gather more evidence about any impact the new variant may have on severity of disease or vaccine effectiveness. The same happened with Omicron, which includes the lineages BA.1, BA.2, BA.3 and B.1.1.529. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published the latest Variant Technical Briefing. However, it remains too early to draw any definitive conclusions on hospital severity, and the increased transmissibility of Omicron and the rising cases in the over 60s population in England means it remains highly likely that there will be significant pressure on the NHS in coming weeks. Our advanced sequencing capabilities enable us to find variants and take rapid action to limit onward spread. 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 . One study has suggested that it may be difficult to identify this 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". UKHSA Chief Executive, Jenny Harries said: I want to thank everyone who has been working globally and locally to help us act incredibly quickly in response to the Omicron variant. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) can confirm that 10 people have been hospitalised with the Omicron variant in England; the individuals were diagnosed on or before admission. In this analysis, the risk of hospitalisation is lower for Omicron cases with symptomatic or asymptomatic infection after 2 and 3 doses of vaccine, with an 81% (95% confidence interval 77 to 85%) reduction in the risk of hospitalisation after 3 doses compared to unvaccinated Omicron cases. This sub-lineage, which was designated by Pangolin on 6 December 2021, does not have the spike gene deletion at 69-70 that causes S-gene target failure (SGTF), which has previously been used as a proxy to detect cases of Omicron. 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. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published the latest variant technical briefing. The total number of confirmed cases in England is now 29. UKHSA has also released a variant risk assessment for Omicron BA.4 and BA.5, summarising the emerging epidemiology and laboratory evidence. This will include analysing live samples of the new variant in our laboratories to investigate properties such as response to current vaccines. BA.2.75.2 as a new variant but singled it out as an . "We must remain vigilant and take up vaccinations. 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. These early findings should be interpreted with caution as transmission data and dynamics can fluctuate, meaning that early findings can change quickly when new variants are identified.
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