The omicron BA.2 subvariant of COVID-19 appears to be driving a spike of cases in countries such as the U.K. and China, and experts say it’s beginning to pick up steam in the United States as well. As of March 12, BA.2 is estimated to make up 23.1% of the cases in the U.S., according to Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data.
But what is BA.2, and why is it spreading so quickly? Before BA.2, the most contagious variant yet of SARS-CoV-2 had been BA.1, or the original omicron variant. Omicron is currently the overall dominant variant internationally. But last month, the World Health Organization (WHO) flagged BA.2 specifically. “Based on available data of transmission, severity, reinfection, diagnostics, therapeutics, and impacts of vaccines … BA.2 sublineage should continue to be considered a variant of concern,” the WHO said.
BA.2 is estimated to be about 30% more contagious than the original omicron variant, NPR reported. This might be because it has a different amino acid make-up in its spike protein. But it’s similar enough to the original omicron variant to be classified as its subvariant instead of a separate variant entirely. According to the WHO, “no reported difference” has been found between BA.2 and BA.1 in terms of severity of symptoms.
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Some experts are concerned that the BA.2 subvariant could drive another COVID spike in the U.S. right as cases were finally falling after the initial omicron wave. (Especially as so many areas relax protection measures such as indoor mask mandates.) This is what appears to be happening in the U.K. and other countries across Europe, whose COVID trajectory the U.S. has often followed. “There is certainly a risk that the U.S. could face another surge in cases, as Europe is seeing,” Gavin Yamey, MD, MPH, a professor of global health and public policy at Duke University, told NBC News. “We have lower rates of vaccination and booster coverage than many European nations, so a surge here could translate into rising hospitalizations.” And Anthony Fauci, M.D., chief medical adviser to President Biden, told CNN: “Without a doubt, opening up society and having people mingle indoors is clearly something that is a contributor, as well as overall waning immunity, which means we’ve really got to stay heads-up and keep our eye on the pattern here.”
The White House said on Monday that the BA.2 subvariant had been circulating in the U.S. for some time and that the government needs more funds to keep it under control. “We need additional COVID funding,” Jen Psaki, White House press secretary, said in a statement. “Some programs, if we don’t get funding, could abruptly end or need to be pared back and that could impact how we are able to respond to any variant.”
But some experts are optimistic that we’re not in for another significant surge, at least not from BA.2. “The speculation I’ve seen is that it may extend the curve going down, case rates from omicron, but is unlikely to cause another surge that we saw initially with omicron,” Debbie Dowell, MD, MPH, chief medical officer for the CDC’s COVID-19 Response, said in a briefing on Saturday, according to The Washington Post. And, as the New York Times points out, vaccines seem to still prevent severe illness with both BA.1 and BA.2, and infection with the former seems to provide antibodies to fend off the latter.
Source: SELF
