A detrimental change in biological properties (changes in transmissibility, severity or immune evasion) compared to the current dominant variant. Please wear face coverings in line with government guidance, let in fresh air when mixing indoors and wash your hands regularly. Vaccine effectiveness against severe disease from Omicron is not yet known but is expected to be significantly higher than protection against symptomatic disease. UKHSAreleases weekly updates on the number of confirmed new cases of variants of concern and variants under investigation identified in the UK. "Looking at other countries where BA.2 is now overtaking, we're not seeing any higher bumps in hospitalisation than expected," the WHO's Dr Boris Pavlin says. UKHSA has performed an initial laboratory evaluation of the current lateral flow devices (LFDs) for COVID-19 in current use in the UK. 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. 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". Please make sure to wear a mask in line with government guidance, including on public transport and in shops, to help break the chains of transmission and slow the spread of this new variant. Dont worry we wont send you spam or share your email address with anyone. Professor Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Advisor, UKHSA said: Recombinant variants are not an unusual occurrence, particularly when there are several variants in circulation, and several have been identified over the course of the pandemic to date. Face coverings in crowded indoor spaces and hand washing will help to reduce transmission of infection and are especially important if you have any respiratory symptoms. Updated analysisshows theadditional incremental benefit from each vaccine exposureincluding for boosters, even in those who have had prior infection. BA.2 has been under close . Apart from dizziness and fatigue, some other signs of BA.2 Omicron Variants include: Fever and body aches Loss of taste Nausea or Vomiting Abdominal pain Fever Extreme fatigue Coughing Sore throat Muscular fatigue Elevated heart rate Breathless in severe cases readmore End of Story So far there is not enough evidence to draw conclusions about transmissibility, severity or vaccine effectiveness. 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. This suggests that, as immunity begins to wane, these newly emerging BA.2 variants may fuel future waves of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The five key Omicron symptoms. However, confidence levels for severity indicators for children are low because further analysis is required to compare the risk of hospitalisation between Omicron and Delta, and to assess the clinical nature of illness in children. March 31, 2022. Dr Meera Chand, Director of Clinical and Emerging Infections, UKHSA, said: Through our genomic surveillance we continue to see evolution of variants in the Omicron family. BA.2, also coined as the "stealth" variant, is a relative of Omicron's original variant, BA.1, which tore through the Australian community over Christmas and the New Year period. Read about our approach to external linking. No cases have been identified in the UK. For some more vulnerable a third dose is available. But at that point the sub-variant still appeared to account for less than one in 20 cases. 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. Data for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is not included in the UKHSA Technical Briefing. 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. Evidence continues to show that Omicron is transmitting more rapidly than the dominant Delta variant. 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. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. This suggests that BA.5 is likely to become the dominant COVID-19 variant in the UK. There were very limited numbers of BA.2 in this study and no inferences can be made regarding BA.2. Whilst Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 are in the early stages of growth in the UK, analysis of the available data suggests that they are likely to have a growth advantage over the currently-dominant Omicron BA.2 variant. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published a new variant technical briefing containing updated analysis on Omicron hospitalisation risk and vaccine efficacy against symptomatic disease and hospitalisation. UKHSA, in partnership with scientific bodies across the globe, is constantly monitoring the status of SARS-CoV-2 variants as they emerge and develop worldwide. We continue to monitor all recombinants closely, routinely through our world-leading genomic surveillance and sequencing capability. Work is underway to identify any links to travel. Two-thirds with Omicron say they had Covid before. However, a small change may be enough to cause a difference in the virus properties in some circumstances. When combined with VE against symptomatic disease, the reduced risk of hospitalisation climbed to 92% 2 to 4 weeks after a third dose of the vaccine, down to 83% after 10 weeks or more. The individuals who have tested positive and their contacts are all isolating. The B.1.1.529variant includes a large number of spike protein mutations as well as mutations in other parts of the viral genome. It is therefore absolutely critical that we all do everything that we can to help break the chains of transmission and slow the spread of this new variant. But it is worth noting that Denmark has seen similar trends in terms of hospital admissions and intensive care as the UK has, suggesting BA.2 does not mark a sea-change in severity. If you develop any symptoms, isolate immediately and get a PCR test. Dr Jenny Harries, UKHSA Chief Executive, said: Our latest analysis shows an encouraging early signal that people who contract the Omicron variant may be at a relatively lower risk of hospitalisation than those who contract other variants. However, it should be noted both that this is early data and more research is required to confirm these findings. In the last week, VUI-21OCT-01 accounted for approximately 6% of all Delta cases. 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. In addition, UKHSA has published data which shows the detection of cases exhibiting S-gene target failure (SGTF) in recent weeks across the country. You will not always know whether someone you come into contact with is at higher risk of becoming seriously ill from respiratory infections, including COVID-19. It showed that the AstraZeneca and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines provided much lower levels of protection against symptomatic infection compared to the protection that they provide against Delta. We have started to see cases where there are no links to travel, suggesting that we have a small amount of community transmission. Whilst the impact of these variants is uncertain, the variant classification system aims to identify potential risk as early as possible. 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. Congestion. 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. 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. 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. These people are spread around the country and are a mix of age ranges between 18 to 85 years the majority had received 2 doses of vaccination. These are potentially biologically significant mutations which may change the behaviour of the virus with regards to immune escape, transmissibility or susceptibility to treatments, but this has not been proven. Case rates remain high throughout the UK and we must remain vigilant and take up vaccinations. While BA.2 appears to be more transmissible than previous variants, there is no data yet to suggest that it is any more severe. The risk assessment also suggests that Omicron displays a reduction in protection offered by having had a previous infection or vaccination. As of 17 May, 115 cases of BA.4 and 80 cases of BA.5 have been confirmed in England and the latest UKHSA variant technical briefing has been published today. Please take up this offer as soon as you are eligible to protect yourself, your families and your communities. 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. As prevalence increases, its more important than ever that we all remain alert, take precautions, and ensure that were up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations, which remain our best form of defence against the virus. 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. So far, vaccination means that the rise in cases is not translating to a rise in severe illness and deaths. According to Baric, Omicron is the first SARS-CoV-2 variant to evolve in the context of mounting immunity in the populationthe result of vaccines and prior infection with other forms of the . The latest UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) COVID-19 variant technical briefing, published today, includes updated epidemiological analysis which indicates that Omicron BA.5 has, as expected, become the dominant SARS-CoV-2 variant in the UK. 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 will continue to closely analyse all available biological, epidemiological and genomic evidence for any SARS-CoV-2 variant in the UK or internationally. 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. 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". The Philippines' Department of Health (DOH) said the BA.2 sub-lineage was already prevalent in samples it received at the end of January. Of those patients admitted to hospital,17had received a booster vaccine, 74 people had 2 doses and 27 people were not vaccinated. BA.2 continues to demonstrate a substantial growth advantage. None of these cases are known to have been hospitalised or died. 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. New sub-lineages within Delta continue to be identified. How are Covid rules changing across UK schools? An individual with Omicron is estimated to be between 31 and 45% less likely to attend A&E compared to Delta, and 50 to 70% less likely to be admitted to hospital. "We must remain vigilant and take up vaccinations. More detail will be available in UKHSAs regular variant technical briefings. Thats why its critical that anyone with COVID-19 symptoms isolates and gets aPCRtest immediately. BA2 Variant is overtaking Delta and Omicron Cases at rapid speed. 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. 2023 BBC. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has identified 2 further cases of COVID-19 with mutations consistent with B.1.1.529 in England, in addition to the previous 3 confirmed cases of the SARS-CoV-2 variant known as B.1.1.529 on 27 and 28 November. Studies of contacts show that Omicron is transmitting more effectively than Delta. UKHSAwill continue to carry out laboratory and epidemiological investigations to better understand the characteristics of this variant. moderate COVID-19 symptoms who are at high risk of . The Omicron BA.2 subvariant is fast becoming the dominant strain of COVID-19, with symptoms similar to previous strains of the virus. Please take up this offer as soon as you are invited to protect yourself, your families and your communities. Our data shows that getting the booster vaccine is more effective against this variant than 2 doses alone. Fourteen people are reported to have died within 28 days of an Omicron diagnosis, ranging in age from 52 to 96 years old. The analysis looked at 581 people with confirmed Omicron. We now know that BA.2 has an increased growth rate which can be seen in all regions in England. ; An increase in new cases is being . If you have symptoms take a PCR test and isolate at home until you receive a negative result. 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. 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 focussed contact tracing. The population rate of people becoming infected with Omicron after having previously contracted COVID-19 has increased sharply. Our continued genomic surveillance allows us to detect them and assess whether they are significant. The following are the symptoms of this subvariant: The most common symptom is a sore throat that causes dryness, itching, and pain in the throat Low-grade fever Runny nose Sneezing Mild to moderate fatigue Headache Analysis shows that protection against symptomatic disease 2 to 4 weeks after a booster dose ranges from around 65% to 75%, dropping to 55% to 65% at 5 to 9 weeks and 45% to 50% 10 weeks or more following the booster dose. The early observations for 2 doses of AstraZeneca are particularly likely to be unreliable as they are based on small numbers and are likely to reflect an older population and a population with more co-morbidities than those given the Pfizer vaccine. One case is located in Camden, London, and one case is located in Wandsworth, London. Now more countries, particularly in Asia and Europe, are reporting an increase in cases driven by BA.2. Wear a mask in crowded spaces and, when meeting people indoors, open windows and doors to ventilate the room. By the summer of 2022, the BA.5 variant was the most dominant strain in the US. 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. The total number of confirmed cases in England is now 104. Current guidance from NHS England is that the main symptoms of Covid continue to be a high temperature, a new continuous cough, a loss or change to your sense. 2 or Stealth Omicron causes. UKHSAis acting to get scientific information available as quickly as possible in order to inform the right balance of interventions to prevent transmission and protect lives. There is currently no evidence of community transmission within the UK. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published variant technical briefing 37. UKHSA are continuing to monitor data on the BA.2 sub-lineage closely. Our data also show that 17.5 per cent of people aged 75 years and over have not had a vaccine within the past six months, putting them more at risk of severe disease. In the most recent week of data (specimen dates from 30 November 2021 reported as of 6 December), the number of cases with SGTF has increased to 705. UKHSAis carrying out targeted testing at locations where the positive cases were likely to be infectious. As of 30 November 2021, there are 22 confirmed cases of Omicron (B.1.1.529), identified through sequencing or genotyping in England. Thats why its critical that anyone with COVID-19 symptoms isolates and gets a PCR test immediately.. 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. Both are variants in the Omicron family. XBB.1.5 remains at very low prevalence in the UK, so estimates of growth are highly uncertain. That's because there could be cross-immunity - an infection with BA.1 could offer some protection against BA.2. The full document and underlying data is available on GOV.UK. This increased to 63% for BA.1 and 70% for BA.2 at 2 weeks following a third vaccine. You have rejected additional cookies. 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 designation V-22JUL-01. BA.3 shares most of its mutations with BA.1 and BA.2 except for one. COVID-19 has not gone away, so it is also vitally important that people continue to follow the guidance. 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. While signs remain encouraging on Omicrons severity compared with Delta, the high levels of community transmission continue and may cause pressures on health services. A runny nose, gastrointestinal. It contains updated analysis on Omicron hospitalisation risk, vaccine efficacy against symptomatic disease from Omicron, and the COVID-19 reinfection rate. Neutralisation studies are currently being undertaken at the University of Oxford. Dr Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Adviser at UKHSA, said: Hospitalisations always lag a few weeks behind infections, therefore it isnt surprising that we have started to see people being admitted to hospital with the Omicron variant. Continue to exercise caution. "The symptoms of the Omicron variant, which includes the BA.2 lineage, and the Delta variant, are similar," says Dr. Erica Johnson, MD, the chair of the Infectious Disease Board of the . What are the most common symptoms of Omicron BA.2? It is never too late to come forward for your first dose and its vital that everyone comes forward to get boosted now as we head into the new year.

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