As of 20 December,132individuals with confirmed Omicron have been admitted to or transferred from emergency departments. 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. You have accepted additional cookies. This is not an unusual occurrence and several recombinant SARS-CoV-2 variants have been identified over the course of the pandemic. Congestion. BA.2.75.2 as a new variant but singled it out as an . Vaccination is critical to help us bolster our defences against this new variant please get your first, second or booster jab without delay. UKHSA has also this week published further vaccine effectiveness data against hospitalisation following a booster dose. Work is underway to identify any links to travel to Southern Africa. Although there was a rapid increase in SARS-CoV-2 infections in care homes during December 2021 in line with case rises in the community, there has not been an associated increase in hospital admissions. 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. 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. We have also learnt that BA.2 has a slightly higher secondary attack rate than BA.1 in households. New studies are being undertaken to assess this further. The total number of confirmed cases in England is now 22. UKHSAs latest National flu and COVID-19 surveillance report indicates that the increase in COVID-19 case rates and hospitalisations continues to show signs of slowing. We should all continue to test regularly with LFDs [lateral flow devices] and take a PCR [polymerase chain reaction] test if symptoms develop.". Latest updates on SARS-CoV-2 variants detected in the UK. Two-thirds with Omicron say they had Covid before. UKHSA has also released a variant risk assessment for Omicron BA.4 and BA.5, summarising the emerging epidemiology and laboratory evidence. Get vaccinated and, for those eligible, come forward for your third or booster dose as appropriate as soon as you are called. It has since swept the globe, eventually vanquishing other variants including delta. Infection rate corrected to one million infections a day. Overall, the original Omicron lineage, BA.1, is dominant in the UK and the proportion of BA.2 cases is currently low. 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. The total number of confirmed cases in England is now 29. At the moment there is much that is not yet clear. More detail will be available in UKHSAs regular variant technical briefings. If you have symptoms take a PCR test and isolate at home until you receive a negative result. 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. In a lot of ways, it's a bad cold, a lot of respiratory symptoms, stuffy nose, coughing, body aches and fatigue," said Dr. Dennis Cunningham, the system medical director of infection control and. 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. It includes a complete list of studies planned and already under way into the emerging variant. 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. ; An increase in new cases is being . However, cases of the variant continue to rise at an extraordinary rate already surpassing the record daily number in the pandemic. 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. UKHSA designated variant B.1.1.529 as a variant under investigation (VUI) on Thursday 25 November. 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 already the dominant variant in several states and likely drove the country's recent third wave of infections. A thirddose was associated with a 68% (95% confidence interval 52 to 82%) reduced risk of hospitalisation when compared to similar unvaccinated individuals. Omicron BA.2 Variant Severity As viruses mutate into new variants, they sometimes split or branch off into sub-lineages. There are indications of a small rise in children admitted to hospital, but these early signals need further investigations before we can draw any conclusions about whether Omicron causes more severe illness in children. This particular recombinant, XE, has shown a variable growth rate and we cannot yet confirm whether it has a true growth advantage. This data shows that protection against severe illness from COVID-19 remains at over 90% in those aged 65 and over up to 14 weeks after a booster dose. The first sequences were submitted from the Philippines, and most samples have been uploaded from Denmark (6,411). To help us improve GOV.UK, wed like to know more about your visit today. Approximately half of PCR tests in the UK are able to detect SGTF. 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. 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. An important question is whether BA.2 or BA.3 will become a new dominating "variant of concern". Please make sure you follow all the available guidance. Typical meningitis symptoms include neck stiffness or pain, numbness, tingling, and sensitivity to light. 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. However, one must note, these are only early stage symptoms. Dr Meera Chand, COVID-19 Incident Director at UKHSA, said: It is the nature of viruses to evolve and mutate, so its to be expected that we will continue to see new variants emerge as the pandemic goes on. This increased to 63% for BA.1 and 70% for BA.2 at 2 weeks following a third vaccine. SUMMARY : The basics of the Omicron sub-variant, the BA.5, which is currently the majority in France: BA.5 is more contagious than BA.2 (January wave), which was itself more contagious than BA.1 and even more than Delta (variant 2021). Thats why its critical that anyone with COVID-19 symptoms isolates and gets a PCR test immediately. Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said: This data is yet more evidence that vaccines remain our best line of defence against COVID-19. The two most reported symptom of patients infected by the Stealth Omicron variant is -dizziness and fatigue. However, UKHSA scientists say there is no room to be complacent. There are also hybrid strains, such as XE, which is a combination of BA.1 and BA.2 By Alex Finnis Nine cases have also been identified in Scotland, with 5 cases in the Lanarkshire area and 4 in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area. The COVID Omicron sub-variant BA.2, informally dubbed the "Stealth Omicron" variant, is able to reinfect people who have already had Omicron, a new study suggests. UKHSA scientists are urging anyone who has not had all the vaccines they are eligible for to make sure that they get them as soon as possible. As of 30 November 2021, there are 22 confirmed cases of Omicron (B.1.1.529), identified through sequencing or genotyping in England. 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. 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. Please take up this offer as soon as you are eligible to protect yourself, your families and your communities. While signs remain encouraging on Omicrons severity compared with Delta, the high levels of community transmission continue and may cause pressures on health services. What are the symptoms of BA.2? 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. Working alongside Cambridge University MRC Biostatistics unit, UKHSA analysed 528,176 Omicron cases and 573,012 Delta cases between 22 November and 26 December to assess the risk of hospitalisation in England after testing positive for Omicron. In some places, growth in recorded cases of the sub-variant has been sharp. 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. Dont include personal or financial information like your National Insurance number or credit card details. People infected with Omicron are also less likely to experience fever or loss of taste and smell. 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 these, 20 were in England, 3 in Scotland and 1 in Wales. The increasing prevalence of Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 is likely to be a factor in the recent increase in cases seen in the UK and elsewhere, though there is currently no evidence that Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 cause more severe illness than previous variants. However, any stay in hospital for a child is too long if youre a parent and its important we all take precautions to avoid the spread of infection. These are some of the symptoms that you should be looking out for: High temperature. These are potentially biologically significant mutations which may change the behaviour of the virus with regards to vaccines, treatments and transmissibility. 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. BA.2 is found to be able to alarmingly reinfect patients originally infected by Omicron BA.1. A BA2 variant's symptoms are similar to those of Omicron. Runny nose/congestion. 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. The five key Omicron symptoms. Studies of contacts show that Omicron is transmitting more effectively than Delta. 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. Vaccination is critical to help us bolster our defences against this new variant so please get your first, second, third or booster jab as soon as you are eligible to protect yourself, your families and your communities. "It's important to know and recognize all of the. There is now high confidence that the Omicron variant causes low severity of disease in adults. What are the symptoms of BA.2? A detrimental change in biological properties (changes in transmissibility, severity or immune evasion) compared to the current dominant variant. UKHSA has also published a breakdown of confirmed Omicron cases and SGTF cases by local authority. It is critical that anyone with COVID-19 symptoms isolates and gets a PCR test immediately. Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Adviser at UKHSA, said: The latest set of analysis is in keeping with the encouraging signs we have already seen. A major ailment is not to be expected for the age group 20-50 years. This paper can be found as a pre-print, and the data is referred to in the latest vaccine surveillance report. The majority of these cases are located in London and the South East. Added breakdown of cases by local authority to latest update. UKHSA has updated its stay at home guidance and non-household contacts guidance to reflect changes to self-isolation requirements for contacts of people who have been identified as a suspected or confirmed case of the Omicron variant of COVID-19. A further 16 cases have been identified in Scotland, bringing the total in Scotland to 29. Once again, we urge everyone who is able to get a booster jab to come forward and do so. Prior infection is 44% effective at preventing future infection, increasing to 71% with 3 doses of the vaccine. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published its latest COVID-19 variant technical briefing. Cases are currently very high in the UK, and even a relatively low proportion requiring hospitalisation could result in a significant number of people becoming seriously ill. The earliest of these has a specimen date of 19 January 2022. 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. A separate UK study also found higher transmissibility for BA.2 compared to BA.1. All 3 subvariants have spike protein mutations of L452 and elude immunity from prior BA1 infection. Studiesof households and contactshave found that there is a higher risk of transmission to contacts from an Omicron case, when compared to Delta. There is currently no data on the severity of BA.2. All age groups are affected, including the 75s and over, who are due a spring booster jab to top up protection. Neutralisation studies are currently being undertaken at the University of Oxford. Two variants, CH.1.1 and XBB.1.5, appear to have a growth advantage in the UK. Everybody who is contacted or has symptoms should take aPCRtest as soon as possible, even if they have received a positive COVID-19PCRtest within the last 90 days. At this point it is not possible to determine where the sublineage may have originated. There can be several reasons for growth advantage, but in the case of BA.4 and BA.5, laboratory data suggests a degree of immune escape which is likely to contribute. Dr Meera Chand, Director of Clinical and Emerging Infection at UKHSA, said: It is not unexpected to see new variants of SARS-CoV-2 emerge. For some more vulnerable a third dose is available. 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. Currently, approximately half of all tests conducted in the UK are able to detect SGTF. In total, 40 countries have uploaded 8,040 BA.2 sequences to GISAID since 17 November 2021. Available data are limited at this early stage, but it remains likely that the cases identified so far are a result of a number of separate introductions into the country. 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. 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