Not yet over the Omicron worries, scientists are having a headache with the new variant BA.2
Scientists are struggling with the emergence of a new variant called BA.2. This variant is now present in more than 40 countries on all continents and accounts for the majority of recent cases in countries such as India, Denmark and Sweden.
BA.2 is a sub-line ofOmicron variantis dominating cases around the world right now. The variant first appeared in France a few weeks ago and was confirmed by French Health Minister Olivier Véran this week.
“The World Health Organization classifies variants based on their characteristics, transmissibility, severity, and vaccine evasion. BA.2 is a subtype of Omicron and is already present in Denmark and the UK. At this stage, the World Health Organization does not classify BA.2 as a variant of concern. The only thing we know is that it has more or less the same characteristics as Omicron and we do not yet know how transmissible this subtype is in people who have been infected with Omicron,” said French Health Minister Olivier Véran.
France is not the only country, BA.2 has appeared before in India and South Africa since late December 2021. BA.2 has more than 20 mutations, about half of which are in the spike protein. This is the protein that is believed to interact with human cells and is the key for the virus to enter the body. The question now is whether this sub-variant is as dangerous as Omicron.
Scientists are closely monitoring BA.2. However, there is still no precise data on the vaccine resistance and severity of cases caused by this sub-variant. According to virologist Tom Peacock of Imperial College London (UK), very early observations in India and Denmark showed that there was no significant difference in the severity of BA.2 compared to Omicron. He also added that, although there may be a minimal difference in vaccine efficacy, he himself does not believe that BA.2 will have a significant impact on the current Omicron wave.
BA.2 is posing certain challenges for scientists because it is not easy to track. Variations in PCR testing protocols and the fact that the type of kit varies from lab to lab make it difficult to reliably identify BA.2, according to Florence Débarre, a biologist at the Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences in Pái. There is a more accurate but less widely used tool for tracking variants: genetic sequencing of the virus. However, this method is slow and quite expensive, so it is not suitable for tracking a variant that is likely to spread quickly./.
