Early data suggests that the BA.2 Omicron sub-variant, nicknamed 'stealth Omicron,' may have an increased growth rate compared to the variant's dominant form.
Virologists say that there is much to learn about BA.2, but it appears the sub-variant may have a transmission advantage over BA.1.had been classified as a variant under investigation
However, the HSA stated that the proportion of BA.2 cases in the country compared to BA.1 was"currently low" and that further analysis was needed to determine the significance of the sub-variant and its mutations. A total of 40 countries had uploaded BA.2 sequences to the virus sequencing database GISAID since November 17, the HSA said last Friday. Outbreak.info, an online tool that presents COVID statistics using GISAID data, put that figure at 49 as of Monday.
However, Cornelius Roemer, a computational biologist at the University of Basel in Switzerland, tweeted last week that BA.2 is still detectable on PCR tests and branded news reports to the contrary as"totally wrong."
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Where to buy N95, KN95, KF94 masks (and how to get some for free)These are the optimal masks to wear for protection against the omicron variant of COVID-19
Read more »
Tokyo hits record 10,000 COVID cases, Japan over 50,000 for first timeTokyo recorded its fourth record number of daily COVID-19 infections on Saturday, breaking above 10,000, while Japan's exceeded 50,000 for the first time as the Omicron variant continues to spread rapidly.
Read more »
Is the COVID-19 omicron surge over in Northeast Ohio? Yes, based on dropping hospitalizations and casesThe trend downward after hitting the early-January peak, however, has a ways go to return to the low levels of last fall and summer.
Read more »
New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern cancels her wedding amid new Omicron restrictionsNew Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden has cancelled her wedding as the nation imposes new restrictions to slow the community spread of the COVID-19 Omicron variant, she told reporters on Sunday.
Read more »
LAUSD to require students to wear non-cloth face masks starting MondayThe district said it will prohibit students from wearing cloth masks as the highly transmissible omicron variant of COVID-19 continues to spread.
Read more »
Boosters Effective Against Severe Illness From Omicron, CDC Studies ShowThree studies released Friday offered more evidence that COVID-19 vaccines are standing up to the omicron variant, at least among people who received booster shots.
Read more »