BA.2 SUB-VARIANT OF OMICRON

BA.2 SUB-VARIANT OF OMICRON

Context:

In recent weeks, there has been a significant increase in the detection of the BA.2 sub-variant of the Omicron from numerous nations, raising additional worries about the prospect of a future surge in cases.

Key Points:

• Last week, the UK Health Security Agency marked this sub-variant and called it a variant under investigation.
• This sub-variant has also been present in large numbers in India, but India is not among the countries where the latest increases.

About the Omicron variant:

• BA.2 is one of the several sub-variants of the Omicron that has spread rapidly worldwide since November 2021.
• The Omicron name was given to the B.1.1.529 lineage after it was designated as a variant of concern.
• Later, it discovered that this lineage has its small variants, and the three most frequent were called:

• B.1.1.529.1
• B.1.1.529.2
• B.1.1.529.3

• However, for ease of reference, these sub-lineages were eventually reclassified as BA.1, BA.2, and BA.3.
• The Omicron sub-variant most widely distributed is BA.1 despite the growing proportion of BA.2.