Suara.com – The BA.2 Covid19 variant, or sbvariant of the omicron variant, may exhibit different symptoms from the original strain, according to reports.
Quoted from Alabama NEws, two additional symptoms were reported with BA.2 – dizziness and fatigue. Symptoms come along with those reported by Omicron patients such as sneezing, coughing and sore throat, as well as other cold-like symptoms.
BA.2 is known as the stealth omicron for its ability to evade some tests – it is believed to be about 30 percent more infectious than the original variant but does not appear to be more severe. BA.2 has been blamed for an increasing number of cases internationally but is not widespread in the US although it is reported in all 50 states.
In the US, BA.2 caused about 4 percent of Covid-19 cases for the week ending February 19. And while obtaining BA.2 after infection from the original omicron strain (also known as BA.1) is possible, research suggests early omicron infection appears to provide strong protection.
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The Centers for Disease Control continues to recommend vaccination as the best tool to combat Covid-19 and its variants. Vaccination is available for those aged 5 years and over with a booster for those aged 12 years and over.
All viruses acquire new mutations from time to time, and SARS-CoV-2 is no exception. Some of these changes have no impact on the behavior of the virus, whereas others can change traits such as how contagious it is, which tissues are infected, or the severity of the disease it causes.
A group of closely related variants that share a common ancestor is called a lineage, and these can further branch into sub-lineages, which now appears to be the case with the omicron.
The same thing happened with the previous variant of concern. For example, the Delta variant comprised more than 200 sub-lineages before Omicron began to take over. So far, the Omicron variant is thought to have split into three sub-lineages – BA.1, BA.2 and BA.3 – and these will continue to evolve in the future.
All viruses acquire new mutations from time to time, and SARS-CoV-2 is no exception. Some of these changes have no impact on the behavior of the virus, whereas others can change traits such as how contagious it is, which tissues are infected, or the severity of the disease it causes.
Also Read:
The Dominance of Cases in the UK, Researchers Call Omicron Stealth 60 Percent More Contagious than the Original
A group of closely related variants that share a common ancestor is called a lineage, and these can further branch into sub-lineages, which now appears to be the case with the Omicron.