Omicron: What do we know about the ‘hidden variant’?

Omicron: What do we know about the ‘hidden variant’?

A new version of the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 known as BA.2 has emerged. While experts aren’t sure about their effectiveness, they do know that it’s spreading fast, and most COVID-19 vaccines have 20 mutations in their targeted area.

Scientists first identified the BA.2 subvariant of Omicron in India and South Africa in late December 2021. It has since spread to many countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, and Israel.

The subvariant virus also spread rapidly in Denmark, rising from 20% of all COVID-19 cases in the country in week 52 of 2021 to 45% in the second week of 2022.

Despite its rapid spread in the country, initial analyzes show no difference in hospitalizations between the BA.2 sub-variant and the original Omicron form, also known as BA.1.