The individuals who have tested positive and their contacts are all isolating. However, some experts believe that BA.2 doesn't present symptoms different from the original Omicron. As of 18 July 2022, there were 24 cases of BA.2.75 in the UK. What's the least amount of exercise we can get away with? These changes will take effect as of 1 April 2022 and will be reflected in full in future technical briefings. The earliest of these has a specimen date of 19 January 2022. This matches a recent study led by Oxford University and the Office for National Statistics (ONS), using data from the COVID-19 Infection Survey produced by the latter. Dr Jenny Harries, Chief Executive of UKHSA, said: We are continuing our efforts to understand the effect of this variant on transmissibility, severe disease, mortality, antibody response and vaccine efficacy. Consider wearing a face covering when in crowded places. Latest updates on SARS-CoV-2 variants detected in the UK. 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. Dr Chand said: "So far, there is insufficient evidence to determine whether BA.2 causes more severe illness than Omicron BA.1. More evidence is needed to know whether this is due to changes in the virus behaviour or to epidemiological conditions. This will include analysing live samples of the new variant in our laboratories to investigate properties such as response to current vaccines. "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 . A further 3 cases have been identified in Scotland, bringing the total to 13. India is another country where BA.2 is rapidly replacing the Delta and Omicron BA.1 variant, according to molecular biologist Bijaya Dhakal. Early data shows that young children who are hospitalised experience mild illness and are discharged after short stays in hospital. Omicron sublineages BQ.1 and XBB have been given UKHSA variant designations to facilitate continued studies. The vaccination status was unknown for 6 people, while 8 had received a single dose. A NEW Covid-19 Omicron sub-variant is spreading across Ireland and is the most infectious strain yet. 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. This will include analysing live samples of the new variant in our laboratories to investigate properties such as response to current vaccines. For the first time, this data includes analysis on vaccine effectiveness 15+ weeks after the booster dose. UKHSA is carrying out targeted testing at locations where the positive cases were likely to be infectious. 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. A recombinant variant occurs when an individual becomes infected with 2 or more variants at the same time, resulting in a mixing of their genetic material within the patients body. Please also make sure to follow all Government guidance to reduce the spread of infection. The total number of confirmed cases in England is now 22. ; BA.5 sometimes gives rise to more marked symptomssometimes with digestive symptoms . Of 5,153 individuals identified with an Omicron infection between 1 November and 11 December 2021, 305 were linked to a previous confirmed infection and had an interval from the previous positive test of 90 days or more. The latest variant technical briefing suggests that Omicron continues to grow rapidly in all regions of England as measured by confirmed cases and S gene target failure (SGTF). Professor Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Advisor at UKHSA said: It is clear that the increasing prevalence of Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 are significantly increasing the case numbers we have observed in recent weeks. Studies have also shown that Omicron infects and multiplies in the upper airways 70 times faster than the previous Delta variant. Vaccination is critical to help us bolster our defences against this new variant please get your first, second or booster jab without delay. 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. People suffering From the Omicron BA2 variant said they had fever and body Aches. A runny nose, gastrointestinal. Things you can choose to do are: The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has elevated the classification of the COVID-19 variants Omicron BA.4 and Omicron BA.5 to variants of concern (VOCs) on the basis of observed growth. A total 637 cases of XE a recombinant of Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 have been confirmed in the UK so far. Those aged 18 to 39 should wait to be called. Can Nigeria's election result be overturned? Dont include personal or financial information like your National Insurance number or credit card details. Thats why its critical that anyone with COVID-19 symptoms isolates and gets a PCR test immediately. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has announced the emerging SARS-CoV-2 variant known as B.1.1.529 as a variant under investigation (VUI). BQ.1 (V-22OCT-01) is a BA.5 sub-lineage which has been designated on the basis of rapid growth. 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. Our data shows that getting the booster vaccine is more effective against this variant than 2 doses alone. Updated Jan. 27, 2023 The omicron subvariant of COVID-19, BA.5, became one of the dominant strains of the virus in the fall of 2022 in the U.S. At that time, it was the most easily spread strain to date and is able to evade immunity from COVID infection and vaccination. After 2 doses, vaccine effectiveness was 9% and 13% respectively for BA.1 and BA.2, after 25+ weeks. Now more countries, particularly in Asia and Europe, are reporting an increase in cases driven by BA.2. Thats why its critical that anyone with COVID-19 symptoms isolates and gets a PCR test immediately. The latest Omicron SARS-CoV-2 subvariant, which scientists have labeled BA.2.12.1, is on track to become the most virulent strain in the United States currently. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published analyses of Omicron sub-lineage BA.2. A BA2 variant's symptoms are similar to those of Omicron. One study has suggested that it may be difficult to identify this variant . However, increases in SGTF can give a useful early indication of variant spread. Wear a mask in crowded spaces and, when meeting people indoors, open windows and doors to ventilate the room. There are differences in the populations that have received different vaccines. One of the most common symptoms of the Omicron subvariant BA.2 is nausea. 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. Omicron has branched into three lineages, explains Thomas Russo, M.D., professor and chief of infectious disease at the University at Buffalo in New York: BA.1, BA.2, and BA.3. Other countries that have uploaded more than 100 samples are India (530), Sweden (181), and Singapore (127). 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. The five most common symptoms of Omicron are: runny nose;. One case is located in Camden, London, and one case is located in Wandsworth, London. Added breakdown of cases by local authority to latest update. The designation was made on the basis that this sub-lineage has become increasingly common in the UK in recent months, and there is some early evidence that it may have an increased growth rate in the UK compared to Delta. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has identified 7 further cases of COVID-19 with mutations consistent with B.1.1.529 in England, in addition to the previous 22 confirmed cases of the SARS-CoV-2 variant known as B.1.1.529. 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. UKHSA will continue to monitor the situation closely as a matter of routine, as we do all data relating to SARS-CoV-2 variants both in the UK and internationally. So far, there have been 717 V-22OCT-01 sequences uploaded from the UK to the international GISAID database. One individual diagnosed in hospital has sadly died. UKHSA will continue to designate new variants, and these will receive a variant number (in the format V-date-number). 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. UKHSAreleases weekly updates on the number of confirmed new cases of variants of concern and variants under investigation identified in the UK. The team at ZOE, a study that tracks symptoms . It will take only 2 minutes to fill in. While growth rates can be overestimated in early analyses of a new variant, the apparent growth advantage is currently substantial. 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 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. Please come forward to receive your booster as soon as possible. The percentage of people to have received a booster dose will also already be higher in older age groups and those with underlying health conditions due to prioritisation of the rollout so far. We will continue to monitor this situation closely and recommend appropriate public health measures if needed. 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 most affected local authorities are West Northamptonshire, where there are 49 confirmed cases and 68 SGTF, and Manchester, where there are 7 confirmed cases and 61 SGTF. The total number of confirmed cases in England is now 13. We are continuing to monitor the data closely. 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. 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. BA.2 infections in Germany are also growing faster than BA.1 and Delta, according to Dr Meera Chand, Covid-19 director at the UKHSA. Everyone should complete a primary course as soon as possible for most this will be a first and second dose. BA.2 is found to be able to alarmingly reinfect patients originally infected by Omicron BA.1. The risk assessment also suggests that Omicron displays a reduction in protection offered by having had a previous infection or vaccination. They say its possible that the virus has now changed its pattern and is affecting the stomach. Over 40% of hospital admissions were in London. 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. 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. This will include analysing live samples of the new variant in our laboratories to investigate properties including its response to current vaccines. While prevalence remains high, make sure to wear your mask in indoor settings and take a lateral flow test before meeting others. Neither have currently been designated as variants of concern. The data so far suggests an increase in overall reinfection rates, alongside an increase in first infections. It contains epidemiological data and updated analysis of COVID-19 variants currently circulating in the UK. Infection rate corrected to one million infections a day. In the last week, VUI-21OCT-01 accounted for approximately 6% of all Delta cases. There is currently no evidence of community transmission within the UK. Well send you a link to a feedback form. 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. The technical briefing also includes early analysis of vaccine effectiveness against the Omicron variant compared to Delta. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has identified 75 further cases of COVID-19 with mutations consistent with B.1.1.529 in England, in addition to the previous 29 confirmed cases of the SARS-CoV-2 variant known as B.1.1.529. You can change your cookie settings at any time. Currently, approximately half of all tests conducted in the UK are able to detect SGTF. None of these cases are known to have been hospitalised or died. Its critical that anyone with COVID-19 symptoms isolates and gets a PCR test immediately. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published variant technical briefing 37. This suggests that BA.5 is likely to become the dominant COVID-19 variant in the UK. Under the new system, the variant of concern (VOC) label will be assigned to variants which are currently emerging or circulating, and which the following characteristics can be confirmed or predicted: 1. For example, there are still a small number of cases of other variants, such as Alpha, in the UK which would also result in S-gene dropout or there is a lower amount of virus present in the sample where S-gene dropout cannot be confirmed. We urge these people in particular to get up-to-date. Stay at home if you have any respiratory symptoms or a fever and limit contact with others until you are feeling better, particularly if they are likely to be at greater risk if they contract COVID-19. 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". Following the change in JCVI advice earlier this week, 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. Please take up this offer as soon as you are eligible to protect yourself, your families and your communities. This analysis shows you are up to 8 times more likely to end up in hospital as a result of COVID-19 if you are unvaccinated. They also say that Omicron symptoms are typically mild, and herd immunity is at . The analysis looked at 581 people with confirmed Omicron. It was designated a variant of concern (VOC) on Saturday 27 November. Because of a quirk in how it shows up in test results, we can see the numbers of suspected BA.2 doubled in the week up to 24 January. 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 . However, it is not confirmatory as there are a number of other reasons that a sample might exhibit SGTF. Fatigue. Previous variants of concern which no longer meet the criteria will be redesignated. A number of Omicron variants are currently circulating in England, many of which have acquired mutations which may produce a degree of immune escape. The BA.2 variant is a sibling of the BA.1, which swept across the country over Christmas. Omicron BA.2 Variant Severity Analysis from routine contact tracing data indicates that transmission is likely to be higher among contacts of BA.2 cases in households (13.4%) than those for contacts of other Omicron cases(10.3%) in the period 27 December 2021 to 11 January 2022. Of those patients admitted to hospital,17had received a booster vaccine, 74 people had 2 doses and 27 people were not vaccinated. 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. Protection against hospitalisation from vaccines is good against the Omicron variant. March 31, 2022. 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. 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. Wed like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. 8 Research published in April 2022 in The Lancet also found. We constantly assess the genetic diversity within the known variants of concern (VOCs) to inform our ongoing public health response to the pandemic. Scratchy throat. The analysis included very small numbers of cases as only a few people in the UK currently have this variant, meaning this data should be interpreted with caution until more cases have been studied. I urge you to come forward as soon as youre eligible to help keep yourself and your loved ones safe. Lower back pain. It remains vital that anyone with COVID-19 symptoms isolates and gets aPCRtest immediately. This is still a very small number of cases but is being investigated carefully to understand whether it is related to travel, any other variant or whether there is evidence of spread of Omicron beginning in the community. 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. Thanks to very high levels of vaccine coverage we already have a robust wall of defence against COVID-19 as new variants emerge. This analysis is preliminary and highly uncertain because of the small numbers of Omicron cases currently in hospital, inability to effectively measure all previous infections and the limited spread of Omicron into older age groups. And even if it does become the dominant version of Omicron, it may not actually alter the trajectory of the pandemic in countries that have seen a big wave of BA.1. Health and Social Care Secretary, Sajid Javid, said: We are learning to live with this virus and thanks to our world-leading surveillance system we can rapidly detect and carefully monitor any genetic changes to COVID-19. The updated risk assessment includes indicators for infection severity in both adults and children. We are working as fast as possible to gather more evidence about any impact the new variant may have on severity of disease or vaccine effectiveness. 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. Previous updates were published by Public Health England. More detail will be available in UKHSAs regular variant technical briefings. 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. Headache. Once again, we urge everyone who is able to get a booster jab to come forward and do so. Omicron has a deletion atposition69/70of the spike proteinwhich allows it to be tracked through S gene target failure(SGTF)in some PCR tests. Those mutations are shared with the original omicron, but BA.2 also has . Two variants, CH.1.1 and XBB.1.5, appear to have a growth advantage in the UK. We have seen a rise in hospital admissions in line with community infections but vaccinations are continuing to keep ICU admissions and deaths at low levels. The public health advice is the same for all current variants. UKHSA continues to examine all available data relating to SARS-CoV-2 variants in the UK and abroad. The newest COVID variant taking the world by storm is Omicron's stealthy sub-variant BA.2, and it seems to have brought on a new barrage of gastrointestinal symptoms with it. The areas with the largest number of confirmed cases are London (146) and the South East (97). A major ailment is not to be expected for the age group 20-50 years. Studiesof households and contactshave found that there is a higher risk of transmission to contacts from an Omicron case, when compared to Delta. The total number of confirmed cases in England is now 104. This sub-lineage, which was designated by Pangolin on 6 December 2021, does not have the spike gene deletion at 69-70 that causes S-gene target failure (SGTF), which has previously been used as a proxy to detect cases of Omicron. "We must remain vigilant and take up vaccinations. This is early-stage analysis and we continue to monitor the data hour by hour. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published its latest COVID-19 variant technical briefing. There are also hybrid strains, such as XE, which is a combination of BA.1 and BA.2 By Alex Finnis By the summer of 2022, the BA.5 variant was the most dominant strain in the US. Twoto4 weeks after a booster dose, vaccine effectiveness ranged from around 65 to 75%, dropping to 55 to 70% at 5 to 9 weeks and 40 to 50% from 10+ weeks after the booster. 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. Everyone over 18 is now able to walk into a vaccine centre, so do not hesitate to get yours. The v UKHSAs most recent variant technical briefing can be found on GOV.UK. No cases have been identified in the UK. The Philippines' Department of Health (DOH) said the BA.2 sub-lineage was already prevalent in samples it received at the end of January. Download the data.xlsx. 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. And in England, more than 1,000 confirmed cases of BA.2 have been identified, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). Evidence continues to show that Omicron is transmitting more rapidly than the dominant Delta variant. There are thought to be subtle differences in the symptoms that BA. 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. These include a high temperature, a new. Whilst the impact of these variants is uncertain, the variant classification system aims to identify potential risk as early as possible. UKHSA is carrying out targeted testing at locations where the positive cases were likely to be infectious. There is no data to suggest that BA.2 leads to more severe disease than previous Omicron sub-variants. What are the symptoms of BA.2? We continue to monitor all recombinants closely, routinely through our world-leading genomic surveillance and sequencing capability. It is important that everyone ensures that they are up to date with vaccinations offered as they remain our best form of defence against severe illness. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has released variant technical briefing 41. Updated analysisshows theadditional incremental benefit from each vaccine exposureincluding for boosters, even in those who have had prior infection. 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. While on one hand, this statement gives a ray of hope that BA.2 sub variant of Omicron which was thought to be severe is mild as the BA.1 subvariant is, but on the other hand with the report of . Until we have this evidence, we must exercise the highest level of caution in drawing conclusions about any significant risks to peoples health. There is currently no data on the severity of BA.2. Following the first 2 confirmed cases of the SARS-CoV-2 variant known as B.1.1.529 on 27 November, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has identified one further case of COVID-19 with mutations consistent with B.1.1.529 in the UK. It is critical that anyone with COVID-19 symptoms isolates and gets a PCR test immediately. The data suggests this risk is significantly reduced following a booster vaccine, so I urge everyone to take up their booster when eligible. Early data shows that young children who are hospitalised experience mild illness and are discharged after short stays in hospital. 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. There is currently insufficient evidence to draw conclusions about growth advantage or other properties of this variant. Data on this wont be available for several weeks. The first genomes of this variant were uploaded to the international GISAID database on 22 November. 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. As with previous variants, experts believe vaccines will continue to be highly effective against severe illness, hospitalisation, and death. Please take up this offer as soon as you are invited to protect yourself, your families and your communities. There will be a coprimary endpoint : Neutralizing antibody titers against the SARS-CoV-2 variant of most prominent public health interest according to pandemic evolution (among D614G, B.1.351, Omicron sub-variants BA.4-5, BQ1.1 and XBB or another recent variant) and against one of the variant targeted by the vaccines. "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.

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