A cousin of the Omicron variant of coronavirus called BA.2 sub-variant has been found to be 30 per cent more transmissible than the original BA.1 variant, according to an update from the World Health Organization.
Like the original variant, this BA.2 sub-variant is also believed to have the ability to escape immunity from vaccines and from some antibody treatments.
What are variants and sub-variants?
All viruses evolve over time and acquire mutations, which lead to the creation of a number of “variants” of the virus.
These “variants” further split and branch and create their sub-lineages that are called “sub-variants”. The Delta variant that fuelled India’s second wave has up to 200 sub-variants.
Not all mutations and resultant variants (and sub-variants) are concerning, but some mutations do make the virus better at infecting people like in the cases of Omicron variant.
Is BA.2 more concerning than the original Omicron variant?
The BA.2 sub-variant’s transmissibility is more than that of the original Omicron variant, but such an increase is not observed in the severity of the disease it causes in people, according to Dr John Nkengasong, head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
He told Reuters, “South Africa is reporting that it is more transmissible than the BA.1 variant, but interestingly and very encouragingly the severity seems to be the same.”
No need for alarm but need to be focused
Experts have said there is no need for an immediate alarm regarding this new variant but a continued focus is required.
"As of now, I don't think that we need to sound a global alarm, but I do think that we need to pay attention to BA.2 because it does appear to have a growth advantage over BA.1," Dr Dan Barouch, Director of the Center for Virology and Vaccine Research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, was quoted as saying in CNN.
A BBC analysis noted that if you have been infected with BA.1, then you would also have some degree of protection against BA.2.
Moreover, BA.2 is for the scientists to watch rather than for the public to be alarmed, concludes the analysis.
