Previous updates were published by Public Health England. Xi Jinping is unveiling a new deputy - why it matters, Bakhmut attacks still being repelled, says Ukraine, Saving Private Ryan actor Tom Sizemore dies at 61, The children left behind in Cuba's mass exodus, Snow, Fire and Lights: Photos of the Week. Hospital admissions are increasing, and we cannot risk the NHS being overwhelmed. A detrimental change in biological properties (changes in transmissibility, severity or immune evasion) compared to the current dominant variant. The latest number of COVID-19 cases with mutations consistent with B.1.1.529 in England are published on UKHSAs social media channels. What Is BA.2, the 'Stealth Omicron' Variant - Stealth Omicron Symptoms Our exceptional vaccine rollout means the number of people severely affected by COVID-19 is low, and the UKs innovation and research has discovered life-saving treatments for those most at risk from COVID-19. Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Adviser at UKHSA, said: The latest set of analysis is in keeping with the encouraging signs we have already seen. The latest Omicron SARS-CoV-2 subvariant, which scientists have labeled BA.2.12.1, is on track to become the most virulent strain in the United States currently. Trends in SGTF over and time are however affected by the coverage of laboratories contributing to this surveillance data. 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. 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. Where variant information was available, the majority of intensive care unit (ICU) admissions from 24 November 2021 to 19 January 2022 had Delta infections. 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 also hybrid strains, such as XE, which is a combination of BA.1 and BA.2 By Alex Finnis Read about our approach to external linking. A thirddose was associated with a 68% (95% confidence interval 52 to 82%) reduced risk of hospitalisation when compared to similar unvaccinated individuals. 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. The five key Omicron symptoms. What's the least amount of exercise we can get away with? There is currently no data on the severity of BA.2. These are potentially biologically significant mutations which may change the behaviour of the virus with regards to vaccines, treatments and transmissibility. 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. 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. Wed like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services. Spector shared a list of symptom prevalence from people who had tested positive for COVID, most of whom were estimated to have caught BA.2, he said. Studiesof households and contactshave found that there is a higher risk of transmission to contacts from an Omicron case, when compared to Delta. According to Denmark's Statens Serum Institut (SSI), BA.2 infections rose to account for about half of the country's reported Covid cases in January. People suffering From the Omicron BA2 variant said they had fever and body Aches. 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. 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. The earliest of these has a specimen date of 19 January 2022. Currently, no experimental data has been reported about BA.2 and BA.3. Those mutations are shared with the original omicron, but BA.2 also has . We will continue to monitor this situation closely and recommend appropriate public health measures if needed. UKHSA encourage everyone to continue to follow the most up-to date guidance. Getting your booster jab remains the most effective way of protecting yourself and others from infection and severe disease. Please take up this offer as soon as you are eligible to protect yourself, your families and your communities. The Philippines' Department of Health (DOH) said the BA.2 sub-lineage was already prevalent in samples it received at the end of January. 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. There were very limited numbers of BA.2 in this study and no inferences can be made regarding BA.2. BA.3 shares most of its mutations with BA.1 and BA.2 except for one. 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. Omicron BA.5 variant | COVID-19 | UC Davis Health We have now identified cases in the East Midlands, East of England, London and North West. Omicron BA.2.75, the variant derived from the BA.2 lineage which was identified internationally earlier this month, has now been categorised as a separate variant and given the designation V-22JUL-01. 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. The updated risk assessment includes indicators for infection severity in both adults and children. "The symptoms of the Omicron variant, which includes the BA.2 lineage, and the Delta variant, are similar," says Dr. Erica Johnson, MD, the chair of the Infectious Disease Board of the . At this point it is not possible to determine where the sublineage may have originated. In the UK, 38 cases of XF have been identified, though none have been seen since mid February. 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). UKHSA has also published analyses related to the original Omicron strain BA.1. Thanks to very high levels of vaccine coverage we already have a robust wall of defence against COVID-19 as new variants emerge. 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. Please take up this offer as soon as you are eligible to protect yourself, your families and your communities. But at that point the sub-variant still appeared to account for less than one in 20 cases. Our continued genomic surveillance allows us to detect them and assess whether they are significant. 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. An individual with Omicron is estimated to be between 31 and 45% less likely to attend A&E compared to Delta, and 50 to 70% less likely to be admitted to hospital. We are working as fast as possible to gather more evidence about any impact the new variant may have on severity of disease or vaccine effectiveness. And now, dizziness and fatigue are beginning to emerge as potential symptoms of the new sub-strain of Omicron, along with the original Covid symptoms. For the first time, this data includes analysis on vaccine effectiveness 15+ weeks after the booster dose. It is not unexpected to see new lineages and continued investigation is a normal part of the surveillance of an infectious disease. Covid BA.2 Omicron variant: The key symptoms to look out for Work is underway to identify any links to travel. It was designated a variant of concern (VOC) on Saturday 27 November. Among those who had received 2 doses of Pfizer or Moderna, effectiveness dropped from around 65 to 70% down to around 10% by 20 weeks after the seconddose. Can Nigeria's election result be overturned? UKHSA is 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. What are the most common symptoms of Omicron BA.2? 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. What is the Covid BA.2 variant? Symptoms of Omicron sub-variant UKHSA is carrying out targeted testing at locations where the positive cases were likely to be infectious. UKHSA continues to examine all available data relating to SARS-CoV-2 variants in the UK and abroad. The data once again shows that coming forward for your jab, particularly your third dose, is the best way of protecting yourself and others against infection and severe disease. The BA.2 variant is a sibling of the BA.1, which swept across the country over Christmas. 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. In total, 40 countries have uploaded 8,040 BA.2 sequences to GISAID since 17 November 2021. It is therefore vital that people continue to exercise caution in order to limit the transmission of the virus. Surefire Signs Omicron is in Your Body Eat This Not That Night sweats Scratchy throat Dry cough Mild muscle aches In data published by the UKHSA on January 14, they found that NHS test and trace data revealed a loss of smell or taste was reported less. 1. Omicron continues to grow faster than Delta, with an increased risk of transmission, particularly in contacts outside of the household. Fatigue. The data suggests this risk is significantly reduced following a booster vaccine, so I urge everyone to take up their booster when eligible. 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. Getty Images BA.2 was. Work is underway to identify any links to travel to Southern Africa. #India is another country where #SARS_CoV_2 BA.2 is rapidly replacing #Delta & #Omicron BA.1. The Omicron BA.2 subvariant is fast becoming the dominant strain of COVID-19, with symptoms similar to previous strains of the virus. This analysis found that the risk of presentation to emergency care or hospital admission with Omicron (testing for symptomatic or asymptomatic infection) was approximately half of that for Delta, while the risk of hospital admission alone with Omicron was approximately one-third of that for Delta. 8 Research published in April 2022 in The Lancet also found. In England, the infection rate increased in those aged 25 years to 49 years and those aged 70 years and over in the week ending 21 February 2023. But the latest data suggests this extra protection starts to wane more rapidly, being about 15 to 25% lower from 10 weeks after the booster dose. What are the symptoms of BA.2? BA.2 continues to demonstrate a substantial growth advantage. We are particularly grateful to health protection specialists and the government of South Africa for early sharing of local information on the omicron variant in an exemplary way to support global health security. The Omicron variant sub-lineage known as BA.2 has been designated a variant under investigation ( VUI-22JAN-01) by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). Teams nationally and locally are working at pace to identify and trace all close contacts of every Omicron case. The majority of these cases are located in London and the South East. The technical briefing also includes early analysis of vaccine effectiveness against the Omicron variant compared to Delta. As we all work to limit the high levels of transmission of this variant over the Christmas period, we are urging people to test regularly, particularly before attending social gatherings. 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 . There is currently insufficient evidence to draw conclusions about growth advantage or other properties of this variant. Data for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is not included in the UKHSA Technical Briefing. Whilst there are insufficient data to quantify either vaccine effectiveness or risk of reinfection in the UK exactly, the observed growth, case distribution and early analyses in both South Africa and the UK are consistent with some loss of immune protection against infection. UKHSAreleases weekly updates on the number of confirmed new cases of variants of concern and variants under investigation identified in the UK. BA2 Variant is overtaking Delta and Omicron Cases at rapid speed. None of these cases are known to have been hospitalised or died. That's because there could be cross-immunity - an infection with BA.1 could offer some protection against BA.2. It contains epidemiological data and updated analysis of COVID-19 variants currently circulating in the UK. 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. There is still uncertainty around the significance of the changes to the viral genome, and further analyses will now be undertaken. Runny or congested nose Feeling fatigued Headache New, continuous cough Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing Muscle or body aches New loss of a sense of taste or smell Sore throat Nausea or vomiting Diarrhoea They advise that if you develop one or more of these symptoms you should take a Covid test as soon as possible. Dr Jenny Harries, Chief Executive of UKHSA, said: We are continuing our efforts to understand the effect of this variant on transmissibility, severe disease, mortality, antibody response and vaccine efficacy. They also say that Omicron symptoms are typically mild, and herd immunity is at . This is consistent with analysis published yesterday by Imperial College London and the University of Edinburgh. The same happened with Omicron, which includes the lineages BA.1, BA.2, BA.3 and B.1.1.529. Vaccination is critical to help us bolster our defences against this new variant please get your first, second or booster jab without delay. ; An increase in new cases is being . The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has identified 7 further cases of COVID-19 with mutations consistent with B.1.1.529 in England, in addition to the previous 22 confirmed cases of the SARS-CoV-2 variant known as B.1.1.529. This increased to 63% for BA.1 and 70% for BA.2 at 2 weeks following a third vaccine. Our continued genomic surveillance allows us to further investigate variants that are growing within the UK. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published a new variant technical briefing containing updated analysis on Omicron hospitalisation risk and vaccine efficacy against symptomatic disease and hospitalisation.
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