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Two-thirds with Omicron say they had Covid before. 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. Based on the CDC's genomic surveillance, the BA.2 or stealth Omicron subvariant is responsible for most new SARS-CoV-2 infections in the U.S. BA.2 is a subvariant of the original SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant (B.1.1.529), along with BA.1.1 and BA.3. New studies are being undertaken to assess this further. According to Baric, Omicron is the first SARS-CoV-2 variant to evolve in the context of mounting immunity in the populationthe result of vaccines and prior infection with other forms of the . Getting your booster jab remains the most effective way of protecting yourself and others from infection and severe disease. 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 . It is one for the scientists to watch, rather than for the public to be alarmed about at this stage. 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. One case is located in Camden, London, and one case is located in Wandsworth, London. It contains updated analysis on Omicron hospitalisation risk, vaccine efficacy against symptomatic disease from Omicron, and the COVID-19 reinfection rate. 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. The designation was made on the basis of increasing numbers of BA.2 sequences identified both domestically and internationally. Now more countries, particularly in Asia and Europe, are reporting an increase in cases driven by BA.2. Thats why its so important that everybody, everywhere, takes simple steps to protect themselves from infection. Everybody who is contacted or has symptoms should take a PCR test as soon as possible, even if they have received a positive COVID-19 PCR test within the last 90 days. This analysis excludes individuals with confirmed previous COVID-19 infection. UKHSA is carrying out targeted testing at locations where the positive cases were likely to be infectious. In this analysis, the risk of hospitalisation is lower for Omicron cases with symptomatic or asymptomatic infection after 2 and 3 doses of vaccine, with an 81% (95% confidence interval 77 to 85%) reduction in the risk of hospitalisation after 3 doses compared to unvaccinated Omicron cases. 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. 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. The individuals and their households have been told to self-isolate. The highly transmissible Omicron variant now accounts for half of the world's infections. 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. Updated analysisshows theadditional incremental benefit from each vaccine exposureincluding for boosters, even in those who have had prior infection. BA.2.75.2 as a new variant but singled it out as an . Omicron BA.4 and Omicron BA.5 were designated as variants of concern on 18 May on the basis of an apparent growth advantage over the previously-dominant Omicron BA.2 variant. One dose of any vaccine was associated with a 35% reduced risk of hospitalisation among symptomatic cases with the Omicron variant, 2 doses with a 67% reduction up to 24 weeks after the seconddose and a 51% reduced risk 25 or more weeks after the seconddose. A NEW Covid-19 Omicron sub-variant is spreading across Ireland and is the most infectious strain yet. The study also showed evidence to suggest that the BA.2 sub-variant is better able to evade vaccines. Dr Jenny Harries, Chief Executive of the UK Health Security Agency, said: Viruses mutate often and at random, and it is not unexpected that new variants will continue to arise as the pandemic goes on, particularly while the case rate remains high. UKHSA encourage everyone to continue to follow the most up-to date guidance. 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. UKHSAwill continue to carry out laboratory and epidemiological investigations to better understand the characteristics of this variant. Its critical that anyone with COVID-19 symptoms isolates and gets a PCR test immediately. Working from home where possible, consistently wearing masks in crowded or enclosed spaces, washing your hands regularly and isolating and getting tested if you feel unwell are also vitally important in reducing the impact of COVID-19 this winter. It is still too early to determine next steps, so please stay cautious this Christmas and get your booster as soon as possible to protect yourself and your loved ones. As of 18 July 2022, there were 24 cases of BA.2.75 in the UK. 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. There is currently insufficient evidence to draw conclusions about growth advantage or other properties of this variant. However, with the spread of BA.4 and BA.5, that symptom seems to have returned, some doctors note. So, like the original omicron strain (BA.1), the primary symptoms of a mild BA.2 infection are a cough, fever, fatigue and possible loss of taste or smell. Both are variants in the Omicron family. BA.2, also known as "stealth omicron," is considered a subvariant of omicron. 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. These early findings should be interpreted with caution as transmission data and dynamics can fluctuate, meaning that early findings can change quickly when new variants are identified. 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. Taste Lost is one of the Omicron BA2 Symptoms. More recent data on Omicron cases is published regularly here. Work is underway to identify any links to travel to Southern Africa. 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. 1. Vaccination remains our best defence against future COVID-19 waves, so it is still as important as ever that people come take up all the doses for which they are eligible as soon as possible. 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. 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. But Omicron is an umbrella term for several closely related lineages of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, the most common of which is the BA.1 lineage. The technical briefing also includes early analysis of vaccine effectiveness against the Omicron variant compared to Delta. 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. It has been designated a "variant under investigation" by British health authorities, meaning they are keeping a close watch on it, but are not overly concerned by it. 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. What's the least amount of exercise we can get away with? Runny nose. Infection rate corrected to one million infections a day. New sub-lineages within Delta continue to be identified. This increased to 63% for BA.1 and 70% for BA.2 at 2 weeks following a third vaccine. We will continue to closely analyse all available biological, epidemiological and genomic evidence for any SARS-CoV-2 variant in the UK or internationally. We have also learnt that BA.2 has a slightly higher secondary attack rate than BA.1 in households. It includes a complete list of studies planned and already under way into the emerging variant. 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. At this point it is not possible to determine where the sublineage may have originated. Dont include personal or financial information like your National Insurance number or credit card details. The total number of confirmed cases in England is now 29. Delta remains the predominant variantin England, accounting for over 99% of all COVID-19 cases. Runny nose (especially in combination with loss of smell) A runny nose is a universal sign of cold, flu and now COVID-19. As the coronavirus continues to evolve, a new highly contagious Omicron variant is appearing in India and other nations, including the United States, experts say.. As of January 10 2022, 53 sequences of the BA.2 sub-lineage of Omicron had been identified in the United Kingdom. Following the change in Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advice yesterday, a booster dose for everyone over 18 years is now recommended at a minimum of 3 months from your last primary course jab. Those mutations are shared with the original omicron, but BA.2 also has . In some countries, BA.2 accounts for more than half of sequenced Omicron cases, it adds. Symptoms of BA.2 appear to largely mirror those of the original version of the omicron variant: an upper respiratory illness that causes sore throat, cough, congestion, headache and fatigue. We constantly assess the genetic diversity within the known variants of concern (VOCs) to inform our ongoing public health response to the pandemic. Headache. Wed like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services. 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. UKHSA is carrying out targeted testing at locations where the positive cases were likely to be infectious. This is to be expected and UKHSA is monitoring the situation closely. It remains vital that anyone with COVID-19 symptoms isolates and gets aPCRtest immediately. The individuals who have tested positive and their contacts have been asked to self-isolate. Data continues to show COVID-19 poses a very low health risk to children and infants. UKHSA has also published analyses related to the original Omicron strain BA.1. Please come forward to receive your booster as soon as possible. Typical meningitis symptoms include neck stiffness or pain, numbness, tingling, and sensitivity to light. The individuals that have tested positive are not connected to each other and are not linked to the previously confirmed cases. 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. Omicron BA2 symptoms include taste loss. Scientists in the UK and abroad are closely monitoring BA.2, a sub-variant of Omicron. 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 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. 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. Prior infection is 44% effective at preventing future infection, increasing to 71% with 3 doses of the vaccine. Congestion. 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. 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. Everyone over 18 is now able to walk into a vaccine centre, so do not hesitate to get yours. The analysis looked at 581 people with confirmed Omicron. 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. But the preliminary assessment found no evidence that vaccines would be any less effective against symptomatic disease for either sub-variant. 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. Getty Images BA.2 was. The omicron variant of the coronavirus was first detected in late 2021. 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. Once again, we urge everyone who is able to get a booster jab to come forward and do so. A major ailment is not to be expected for the age group 20-50 years. Thanks to very high levels of vaccine coverage we already have a robust wall of defence against COVID-19 as new variants emerge. Get vaccinated and, for those eligible, come forward for your third or booster dose as appropriate as soon as you are called. 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 . Initial data suggests that LFDs are as likely to detect Omicron as other variants including Delta, which has been the dominant variant in the UK from May to December 2021. Studies have also shown that Omicron infects and multiplies in the upper airways 70 times faster than the previous Delta variant. The most important thing everyone can do now is to get any vaccine dose that you are eligible for it is by far the most effective action you can take to protect yourself, your families and your communities. In the age group of 20-50 years, significant severity is not expected. Teams nationally and locally are working at pace to identify and trace all close contacts of every Omicron case. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published a new variant technical briefing describing ongoing work on the Omicron variant. It is critical that anyone with COVID-19 symptoms isolates and gets a PCR test immediately. In some places, growth in recorded cases of the sub-variant has been sharp. Thats why its critical that anyone with COVID-19 symptoms isolates and gets a PCR test immediately. It is never too late to come forward for your first dose and its vital that everyone comes forward to get boosted now as we head into the new year. One individual diagnosed in hospital has sadly died. To help us improve GOV.UK, wed like to know more about your visit today. The individuals that have tested positive and their contacts are all isolating. ; The incubation time (time to onset of symptoms) is a bit shorter: 3 days. There is now high confidence that the Omicron variant causes low severity of disease in adults. We have now identified cases in the East Midlands, East of England, London, South East and North West. Read about our approach to external linking. BQ.1 (V-22OCT-01) is a BA.5 sub-lineage which has been designated on the basis of rapid growth. If you have symptoms take a PCR test and isolate at home until you receive a negative result. 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. How are Covid rules changing across UK schools? Omicron BA.2 Variant Severity Our data shows that getting the booster vaccine is more effective against this variant than 2 doses alone. All age groups are affected, including the 75s and over, who are due a spring booster jab to top up protection. They save lives and prevent serious illness. However, one must note, these are only early stage symptoms. Consider wearing a face covering when in crowded places. We use some essential cookies to make this website work. While growth rates can be overestimated in early analyses of a new variant, the apparent growth advantage is currently substantial. While BA.2 appears to be more transmissible than previous variants, there is no data yet to suggest that it is any more severe. 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. 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 . The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has identified 8 further cases of COVID-19 with mutations consistent with B.1.1.529 in England, in addition to the previous 5 confirmed cases of the SARS-CoV-2 variant known as B.1.1.529. The total number of confirmed cases in England is now 5. There is still uncertainty around the significance of the changes to the viral genome, and further analyses will now be undertaken. This designation means that data relating to BA.2.75 will now be reported separately from other BA.2 cases. 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 . 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%). Since BA.2 is a sub-strain of the Omicron variant, it is expected that its symptoms will be similar. There is no data to suggest that BA.2 leads to more severe disease than previous Omicron sub-variants. Neither BQ.1 nor XBB have been designated as variants of concern and UKHSA is monitoring the situation closely, as always. As part of UKHSAs routine genomic surveillance, approximately 15 to 20% of all positive PCR tests are also sent for sequencing. As is routine for any new variants under investigation,UKHSAis carrying out laboratory and epidemiological investigations to better understand the characteristics of this variant. All 3 subvariants have spike protein mutations of L452 and elude immunity from prior BA1 infection. Studies of contacts show that Omicron is transmitting more effectively than Delta. This suggests that BA.5 is likely to become the dominant COVID-19 variant in the UK. Therefore, although early suggestions are that individuals may be less likely to require hospitalisation, many more people are likely to become infected. What we know is that it is certainly growing as a proportion of overall cases in the UK. 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. BA.2 is found to be able to alarmingly reinfect patients originally infected by Omicron BA.1. A further 16 cases have been identified in Scotland, bringing the total in Scotland to 29. As of 30 November 2021, there are 22 confirmed cases of Omicron (B.1.1.529), identified through sequencing or genotyping in England. BA.2 continues to demonstrate a substantial growth advantage. As set out last week, the effectiveness of all vaccines against symptomatic infection continues to be lower in all periods against Omicron compared to Delta. UKHSA Chief Medical Advisor, Dr Susan Hopkins said: It is increasingly evident that Omicron is highly infectious and there is emerging laboratory and early clinical evidence to suggest that both vaccine-acquired and naturally acquired immunity against infection is reduced for this variant. Continue to exercise caution. What is the stealth omicron, or BA.2, variant? As viruses mutate into new variants, they sometimes split or branch off into sub-lineages. Where individuals are identified as being a possible or probable case of Omicron, their close contacts will be contacted and advised they are required to isolate for 10 days, regardless of whether they have been vaccinated or received a negative COVID-19 test result. At the moment there is much that is not yet clear. 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. We should all continue to test regularly with LFDs and take a PCR test if symptoms develop. 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. Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Advisor at UKHSA, said: This latest set of analysis once again demonstrates that a booster dose of the vaccine provides you with significant protection against hospitalisation from Omicron. 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. People suffering From the Omicron BA2 variant said they had fever and body Aches. 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 These are some of the symptoms that you should be looking out for: High temperature. 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. The most commonly-reported symptoms with the original Omicron variant were cough, fatigue, headache, congestion, and runny nose. Whilst Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 are in the early stages of growth in the UK, analysis of the available data suggests that they are likely to have a growth advantage over the currently-dominant Omicron BA.2 variant. Delta and Omicron Cases are being eclipsed by BA2 Variant rapidly. 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. There are differences in the populations that have received different vaccines. The same happened with Omicron, which includes the lineages BA.1, BA.2, BA.3 and B.1.1.529. This assessment is based on analysis of UK data showing increased household transmission risk, increased secondary attack rates (such as the chance of each case infecting another individual) and increased growth rates compared to Delta. 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 risk assessment also suggests that Omicron displays a reduction in protection offered by having had a previous infection or vaccination. ROCHESTER, Minn. The World Health Organization designated COVID-19 variant B.1.1.529, named omicron, a "variant of concern" on Nov. 26, 2021, and the first confirmed case in the U.S. was on Dec. 1, 2021. Work is underway to identify any links to travel. . Yet fears of another Omicron wave in the United States may be. That's because there could be cross-immunity - an infection with BA.1 could offer some protection against BA.2. A study of 8,500 households and 18,000 individuals conducted by Denmark's SSI found that BA.2 was "substantially" more transmissible than BA.1. 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. It is not clear where BA.2 originated, but it was first detected in the Philippines in November. The vaccination status was unknown for 6 people, while 8 had received a single dose. But at that point the sub-variant still appeared to account for less than one in 20 cases. 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. 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. 34 Subsequent studies that were performed in periods when a mix of BA.1, BA.2, BA.4, and BA.5 viruses circulated have reported low effectiveness of a second booster against . Its critical that anyone with COVID-19 symptoms isolates and gets aPCRtest immediately. 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. Studies have already shown that this virus travels to different parts of the body, therefore gut-related issues are. Where individuals are identified as being a possible or probable case, their close contacts will be contacted and advised to isolate for 10 days and to take a test. 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. 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. For some more vulnerable a third dose is available. 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. As of 2 May 2022, 21 confirmed cases of Omicron BA.4 and 19 confirmed cases of Omicron BA.5 have been detected in England. A runny nose, gastrointestinal. The World Health Organization has been monitoring SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes Covid-19) since January 2020, during which time the variant Omicron has been identified, which is technically known as BA.1 or B.1.1.529.The WHO is now monitoring a sub-variant of Omicron, known as BA.2, which has been described as "stealth Omicron," because it has genetic mutations that potentially make it . However, some experts believe that BA.2 doesn't present symptoms different from the original Omicron. It is vital that everyone over the age of 40 who is eligible for a booster jab comes forward as soon as possible to get increased protection against this new variant.