Of these, 20 were in England, 3 in Scotland and 1 in Wales. We have also learnt that BA.2 has a slightly higher secondary attack rate than BA.1 in households. The individuals who have tested positive and their contacts are all isolating. If the growth rate and doubling time continue at the rate we have seen in the last 2 weeks, we expect to see at least 50% of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases to be caused by Omicron variant in the next 2 to 4 weeks. We should all continue to test regularly with LFDs [lateral flow devices] and take a PCR [polymerase chain reaction] test if symptoms develop.". Vaccination is critical to help us bolster our defences against this new variant please get your first, second, third or booster jab without delay. 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%). There are insufficient severe cases of Omicronas yetto analyse vaccine effectiveness against hospitalisation, but this is more likely to be sustained, particularly after a booster. We should all continue to test regularly with LFDs and take a PCR test if symptoms develop. UKHSA is 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. It is critical that anyone with COVID-19 symptoms isolates and gets a PCR test immediately. Can Nigeria's election result be overturned? UKHSA continues to monitor and study variants of SARS-CoV-2 closely and is working with academic partners to rapidly assess the significance of the lineages BA.4 and BA.5. The BA.2 subvariant has been referred to as stealth Omicron because it contains genetic mutations that can make it harder to distinguish from the . 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. The designation was made on the basis of increasing numbers of BA.2 sequences identified both domestically and internationally. A runny nose, gastrointestinal. Previous updates were published by Public Health England. It was designated a variant of concern (VOC) on Saturday 27 November. This is to be expected and UKHSA is monitoring the situation closely. 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. BQ.1 (V-22OCT-01) is a BA.5 sub-lineage which has been designated on the basis of rapid growth. A further case has been identified in Scotland, bringing the total to 10. I urge you to come forward as soon as youre eligible to help keep yourself and your loved ones safe. The population rate of people becoming infected with Omicron after having previously contracted COVID-19 has increased sharply. How are Covid rules changing across UK schools? Work is underway to identify any links to travel. ; The incubation time (time to onset of symptoms) is a bit shorter: 3 days. Fourteen people are reported to have died within 28 days of an Omicron diagnosis, ranging in age from 52 to 96 years old. "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 . Analysis by the UKHSA suggests it could be substantial, although there is a risk of over-estimating growth advantage in the early stages. Overall numbers of ICU admissions have decreased over time, but where data was available admissions with Omicron have increased from 9% to more than 50% in the most recent week. Wear a mask in crowded places, including public transport and shops, to ensure we all help break the chains of transmission and slow the spread of this new variant. It has since swept the globe, eventually vanquishing other variants including delta. Read about our approach to external linking. We are continuing to monitor the data closely. 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. As part of UKHSAs routine genomic surveillance, approximately 15 to 20% of all positive PCR tests are also sent for sequencing. The analysis shows that coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in the UK are primarily made up of BQ.1 and its sublineages, consistent with the UKHSA risk assessment published in October. According to Denmark's Statens Serum Institut (SSI), BA.2 infections rose to account for about half of the country's reported Covid cases in January. Six cases of the SARS-CoV-2 variant known as B.1.1.529 have also been identified in Scotland, with 4 cases in the Lanarkshire area and 2 in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area. It remains vital that anyone with COVID-19 symptoms isolates and gets aPCRtest immediately. The earliest of these has a specimen date of 19 January 2022. Data continues to show COVID-19 poses a very low health risk to children and infants. However, cases of the variant continue to rise at an extraordinary rate already surpassing the record daily number in the pandemic. Follow the latest self-isolation rules if you develop symptoms wear a mask where required to do so, take regular LFD tests and observe good hand hygiene. 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. You have accepted additional cookies. The breakdown of cases by local authority is: The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has identified 9 further cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) with mutations consistent with B.1.1.529 in England, in addition to the previous 13 confirmed cases of the SARS-CoV-2 variant known as B.1.1.529. XBB.1.5 remains at very low prevalence in the UK, so estimates of growth are highly uncertain. 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. We now know that BA.2 has an increased growth rate which can be seen in all regions in England. COVID-19 has not gone away, so it is also vitally important that people continue to follow the guidance. Get vaccinated and, for those eligible, come forward for your third or booster dose as appropriate as soon as you are called. Delta and Omicron Cases are being eclipsed by BA2 Variant rapidly. Getting your booster jab remains the most effective way of protecting yourself and others from infection and severe disease. It is also vital to continue with all the other precautions we have become used to throughout the pandemic keep indoor areas well ventilated, wear a face covering in enclosed spaces, and take a rapid lateral flow (or LFD) test before a situation where you may be at high risk of catching or passing on the virus. 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. The guidance on vaccination is changing to help all of us bolster our defences in the face of this new variant. This is very encouraging. Overall, data shows significant reductions in neutralisation against several of the newly emergent variants (BA.2.75.2, BA.2.3.20 and BJ.1), compared to BA.2, BA.4 and the dominant BA.5. Infection rate corrected to one million infections a day. There will be no other categorisation of variants, including no variant under investigation (VUI) category. You can change your cookie settings at any time. Since then, several sub-variants of Omicron surfaced, including BA.2, BA.3, BA.4, and BA.5. This will include analysing live samples of the new variant in our laboratories to investigate properties such as response to current vaccines. These are potentially biologically significant mutations which may change the behaviour of the virus with regards to vaccines, treatments and transmissibility. 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. Among those who had received 2 doses of Pfizer or Moderna, effectiveness dropped from around 65 to 70% down to around 10% by 20 weeks after the seconddose. Consider wearing a face covering when in crowded places. However, some experts believe that BA.2 doesn't present symptoms different from the original Omicron. UKHSA has also this week published further vaccine effectiveness data against hospitalisation following a booster dose. We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services. The total number of confirmed cases in England is now 22. This particular recombinant, XE, has shown a variable growth rate and we cannot yet confirm whether it has a true growth advantage. 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. 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. . That contrasts to Denmark, where it has become dominant. Our advanced sequencing capabilities enable us to find variants and take rapid action to limit onward spread. Dr Mary Ramsay, Head of Immunisation at UKHSA, said: These early estimates should be treated with caution but they indicate that a few months after the second jab, there is a greater risk of catching the Omicron variant compared to Delta strain. The updated risk assessment includes indicators for infection severity in both adults and children. Runny nose/congestion. UKHSA designated variant B.1.1.529 as a variant under investigation (VUI) on Thursday 25 November. In its early days, the variant caused an alarming spike in COVID-19 cases in South Africathey went from 300 a day in mid-November 2021 to 3,000 a day at the end of that month. Dont worry we wont send you spam or share your email address with anyone. We expect the vaccines to show higher protection against the serious complications of COVID-19, so if you havent yet had your first 2 doses please book an appointment straight away. This increased to 63% for BA.1 and 70% for BA.2 at 2 weeks following a third vaccine. 2. As of January 10 2022, 53 sequences of the BA.2 sub-lineage of Omicron had been identified in the United Kingdom. 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. Although hospitalisations and deaths remain low, cases are still high in some areas and some age groups so its important that we continue to act cautiously as restrictions are lifted. The first genomes of this variant were uploaded to the international GISAID database on 22 November. The symptoms of omicron BA.2.75 are mostly flu-like and may last more than 4-5 days. The Delta variant, for example, comprises 200 different sub-variants. The public health advice is the same for all current variants. News stories, speeches, letters and notices, Reports, analysis and official statistics, Data, Freedom of Information releases and corporate reports. What are the most common symptoms of Omicron BA.2? For the first time, this data includes analysis on vaccine effectiveness 15+ weeks after the booster dose. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. 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. Two major BA.2 variant symptoms include dizziness and fatigue, as I wrote for the Deseret News. Experts in Kolkata say that BA.2 symptoms are mostly associated with abdomen and stomach instead of cough or shortness of breath. There are also hybrid strains, such as XE, which is a combination of BA.1 and BA.2 By Alex Finnis Read about our approach to external linking. March 31, 2022. 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. Of those with Omicron, 9.5% have had COVID-19 before, which is likely to be a substantial underestimate of the proportion of reinfections, as many prior infections will have been asymptomatic and not picked up by the analysis. 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. As we all work to limit the high levels of transmission of this variant over the Christmas period, we are urging people to test regularly, particularly before attending social gatherings. Well be undertaking further analysis to investigate the small rise in the number of children admitted to hospital but currently coronavirus (COVID-19) poses a very low health risk to children and infants. This includes analysing live samples of the new variant in our laboratories to investigate properties such as response to current vaccines. 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. So far there is not enough evidence to draw conclusions about transmissibility, severity or vaccine effectiveness. UKHSA is constantly monitoring the situation and working to understand the implications for public health. 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. Protection against hospitalisation from vaccines is good against the Omicron variant. In some countries, BA.2 accounts for more than half of sequenced Omicron cases, it adds. 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 . We have started to see cases where there are no links to travel, suggesting that we have a small amount of community transmission. UKHSA is monitoring this closely. With the original version of the omicron variant, which swept across the U.S. at a dizzying speed last winter, the loss of taste and smell was not as common as with the earlier alpha and delta variants. According to the COVID Symptom Study, the five most common symptoms are the same: Runny nose, headache, fatigue, sneezing and sore throat. The individual tested positive after travel to the UK and is linked to travel to Southern Africa. It is therefore vital that people continue to exercise caution in order to limit the transmission of the virus. This is not an unusual occurrence and several recombinant SARS-CoV-2 variants have been identified over the course of the pandemic. 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. UKHSA encourage everyone to continue to follow the most up-to date guidance. Therefore, although early suggestions are that individuals may be less likely to require hospitalisation, many more people are likely to become infected. 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. They also say that Omicron symptoms are typically mild, and herd immunity is at . There are thought to be subtle differences in the symptoms that BA. Trends in SGTF over and time are however affected by the coverage of laboratories contributing to this surveillance data. 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. 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. None of these cases are known to have been hospitalised or died. 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. What is the stealth omicron, or BA.2, variant? The pace of sharing sequences by India is very slow, median days from collection to deposition is 69 days according to GISAID. People aged 75 and over remain at particular risk of severe disease if they are not up to date with their vaccinations. The Omicron variant sub-lineage known as BA.2 has been designated a variant under investigation ( VUI-22JAN-01) by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). It contains epidemiological data and updated analysis of COVID-19 variants currently circulating in the UK. Getty Images BA.2 was. So far, there is insufficient evidence to determine whether BA.2 causes more severe illness than Omicron BA.1, but data is limited and UKHSA continues to investigate. But at that point the sub-variant still appeared to account for less than one in 20 cases. Thanks to the expertise of scientists at UKHSA and partner organisations, were able to respond quickly to new variations of the virus. As always, the booster vaccine remains the best protection against infection. UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published variant technical briefing 24. Please take up this offer as soon as you are eligible to protect yourself, your families and your communities. 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. 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. 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. Of these, XD and XF are recombinants of Delta and Omicron BA.1, while XE is a recombinant of Omicron BA.1 and BA.2. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), nearly 99% of viral DNA submitted to the global GISAID database as of 25 January were identified as this sub-variant. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), nearly 99% of viral DNA submitted to the global GISAID database as of 25 January were identified as this sub-variant. Inthe SIREN study, a large cohort of healthcare workers are tested regularly by PCR to detect asymptomatic infection in addition to normal testing practices for symptomatic infection. In a subgroup analysis of 4,800 people who were triple-vaccinated and infected with an omicron variant, the authors found that people with BA.2 were 64 percent more likely than BA.1-infected . More investigation is required to fully determine the extent of these mutations impact. As we learn to live safely with COVID-19, there are actions we can all take to help reduce the risk of catching COVID-19 and passing it on to others. The v Its 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. Thats why its critical that anyone with COVID-19 symptoms isolates and gets aPCRtest immediately. "It's important to know and recognize all of the. Check benefits and financial support you can get, Find out about the Energy Bills Support Scheme, National flu and COVID-19 surveillance report, higher risk of becoming seriously ill from respiratory infections, including COVID-19, this data should be interpreted with caution, This assessment is based on analysis of UK data, data on Omicron cases is published regularly here, Six cases of the SARS-CoV-2 variant known as B.1.1.529, Investigation of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern: variant risk assessments, Investigation of SARS-CoV-2 variants: technical briefings, Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance for local government, let fresh air in if meeting others indoors, wear a face covering or a face mask, particularly if you are in crowded and enclosed spaces. 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. As of 20 December,132individuals with confirmed Omicron have been admitted to or transferred from emergency departments. Dr Chand said: "So far, there is insufficient evidence to determine whether BA.2 causes more severe illness than Omicron BA.1. As of 20 October, there were 15,120 cases of VUI-21OCT-01 confirmed by whole genome sequences in England since it was first detected in July. Added breakdown of cases by local authority to latest update. Further studies are underway in the UK and abroad.
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