Is the 'stealth' omicron subvariant something to worry about? Here's what the experts say
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As cases of the omicron variant of COVID-19 dwindle across the United States and worldwide, questions around what researchers are calling the "stealth" omicron subvariant abound — here's what we know.
BA.2, a subvariant related to the BA.1 omicron variant, is circulating in over 60 countries including the U.S., where it has been linked to over 250 cases and has been identified in at least 25 states, including Florida.
Last week, Maria Van Kerkhove, the technical lead for COVID-19 at the World Health Organization plainly stated, "BA.2 is more transmissible than BA.1, so we expect to see BA.2 increasing in detection around the world,” during a press conference.
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Data released in late January showed BA.2 to be 33% more infections than BA.1 among a sample of more than 8,500 Danish households.
"That's a sign that BA.2 is probably more infectious," Dr. Stuart Ray, a professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University, said about the data. "But it's still early and this is the kind of study that needs to be repeated elsewhere."
Additionally, researchers cannot yet determine how well previous infections or vaccines protect against BA.2, however, Ray said, it's probable that both will offer some level of protection.
"It seems likely that prior infection with BA.1 or the omicron that we've been dealing with is going to provide some protection against BA.2," he said, adding that like omicron, it seems to inflict less severe symptoms than the alpha and delta variants.
BA.2 was first detected in South Africa and the Philippines around the same time as BA.1, in December.
However, the variants took different paths: while BA.1 spread through South Africa and eventually the United States, BA.2 made its way through India.
It then moved into northern Europe, especially Denmark, where BA.2 is now the dominant variant.
It has not received its own Greek name because it's not distinct enough from BA.1, though BA.2 has many mutations that set it apart from its related variant.
"In the case of BA.1 and BA.2, they were so different for everything else, they got the collective name omicron," Ray said. "But, they carry a bunch of shared changes."
It also does not contain the mutation that PCR antigen tests need to distinguish it from other variants, like delta.
Its ability to evade early attention, Ray said, made it deserving of the "stealth" label.
What should you do to avoid 'stealth' omicron?
Ray's advice to the public is similar to what health experts have urged for years now: Get fully vaccinated and wear masks indoors, especially when there are lots of people around.
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"Wear masks when the risk is high and get your vaccines, they both really work especially when done together," he said, adding: "Until we get a handle on this, it's likely the virus has the ability to keep on evolving and the next variants might not be as mild as omicron."
Contact Christopher Cann at ccann@tallahassee.com and follow @ChrisCannFL on Twitter.
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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Public health experts closely monitor omicron stealth variant in US
