Dr Jenny Harries, Chief Executive ofUKHSA, said: We are continuing our efforts to understand the effect of this variant on transmissibility, severe disease, mortality, antibody response and vaccine efficacy. 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. The designation was made on the basis of increasing numbers of BA.2 sequences identified both domestically and internationally. As previously published, data continues to show vaccine effectiveness against hospitalisation for Omicron remains high. We continue to urge everyone who is eligible to get a COVID-19 vaccine and booster. Since the middle of February, this growth rate has settled at approximately 75% higher than other circulating Omicron lineages in England. 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. As I previously reported, omicron subvariants have a shorter incubation period, which is why the symptoms may appear earlier. According to the CDC, the Omicron variant spreads more easily than the original SARS-CoV-2 virus and the Delta variant. Since then, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has classified two subvariants, BA.1.1 and BA.2. So far there is not enough evidence to draw conclusions about transmissibility, severity or vaccine effectiveness. As of 20 October, there were 15,120 cases of VUI-21OCT-01 confirmed by whole genome sequences in England since it was first detected in July. 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. Everybody who is contacted or has symptoms should take aPCRtest as soon as possible, even if they have received a positive COVID-19PCRtest within the last 90 days. 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. Delta and Omicron Cases are being eclipsed by BA2 Variant rapidly. However, a small change may be enough to cause a difference in the virus properties in some circumstances. Hospital admissions are increasing, and we cannot risk the NHS being overwhelmed. The guidance on vaccination is changing to help all of us bolster our defences in the face of this new variant. The same happened with Omicron, which includes the lineages BA.1, BA.2, BA.3 and B.1.1.529. UKHSA are continuing to monitor data on the BA.2 sub-lineage closely. Prior infection is 44% effective at preventing future infection, increasing to 71% with 3 doses of the vaccine. Yet fears of another Omicron wave in the United States may be. Professor Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Advisor, UKHSA said: Recombinant variants are not an unusual occurrence, particularly when there are several variants in circulation, and several have been identified over the course of the pandemic to date. Dr Meera Chand, Director of Clinical and Emerging Infection at UKHSA, said: It is not unexpected to see new variants of SARS-CoV-2 emerge. Download the data.xlsx. Fatigue. Omicron soon began branching off into a number of subvariants: BA.2 took off in the spring, and BA.5 came to dominate towards the end of the summer. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published the latest Variant Technical Briefing. Infection rate corrected to one million infections a day. Omicron continues to grow faster than Delta, with an increased risk of transmission, particularly in contacts outside of the household. However, the preliminary data showed effectiveness against the new variant appears to increase considerably in the early period after a booster dose, providing around 70% to 75% protection against symptomatic infection. The following are the symptoms of this subvariant: The most common symptom is a sore throat that causes dryness, itching, and pain in the throat Low-grade fever Runny nose Sneezing Mild to moderate fatigue Headache Analysis from routine contact tracing data indicates that transmission is likely to be higher among contacts of BA.2 cases in households (13.4%) than those for contacts of other Omicron cases(10.3%) in the period 27 December 2021 to 11 January 2022. One study has suggested that it may be difficult to identify this variant . UKHSA has also published analyses related to the original Omicron strain BA.1. UKHSAs latest National flu and COVID-19 surveillance report indicates that the increase in COVID-19 case rates and hospitalisations continues to show signs of slowing. UKHSAis carrying out targeted testing at locations where the positive cases were likely to be infectious. In the UK, 38 cases of XF have been identified, though none have been seen since mid February. 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. It contains updated analysis on Omicron hospitalisation risk, vaccine efficacy against symptomatic disease from Omicron, and the COVID-19 reinfection rate. UKHSA is constantly monitoring the situation and working to understand the implications for public health. There is further data showing that effectiveness against symptomatic disease is significantly lower compared to the Delta variant, and wanes more quickly. 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. These are potentially biologically significant mutations which may change the behaviour of the virus with regards to vaccines, treatments and transmissibility. Wear a mask in crowded spaces and, when meeting people indoors, open windows and doors to ventilate the room. BA.2 has been under close . UKHSAreleases weekly updates on the number of confirmed new cases of variants of concern and variants under investigation identified in the UK. BA.3 shares most of its mutations with BA.1 and BA.2 except for one. The BA.2 variant is a sibling of the BA.1, which swept across the country over Christmas. While in the UK, the individual was in Westminster, London. The Philippines' Department of Health (DOH) said the BA.2 sub-lineage was already prevalent in samples it received at the end of January. Professor Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Advisor at UKHSA said: It is clear that the increasing prevalence of Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 are significantly increasing the case numbers we have observed in recent weeks. However, it remains too early to draw any definitive conclusions on hospital severity, and the increased transmissibility of Omicron and the rising cases in the over 60s population in England means it remains highly likely that there will be significant pressure on the NHS in coming weeks. Even if a smaller proportion of these individuals require hospitalisation, these are still large numbers of people requiring hospital care and pressures on the NHS will increase. Since BA.2 is a sub-strain of the Omicron variant, it is expected that its symptoms will be similar. One of the most common symptoms of the Omicron subvariant BA.2 is nausea. This is still a very small number of cases but is being investigated carefully to understand whether it is related to travel, any other variant or whether there is evidence of spread of Omicron beginning in the community. Work is underway to identify any links to travel to Southern Africa. As we cautiously return to Plan A, I encourage you to give yourself and your loved ones the best protection possible and Get Boosted Now. It is therefore vital that people continue to exercise caution in order to limit the transmission of the virus. Positive tests with sufficient virus detected from people arriving in the UK are sent for confirmation through Whole Genome Sequencing, regardless of the presence or absence of SGTF. There can be several reasons for growth advantage, but in the case of BA.4 and BA.5, laboratory data suggests a degree of immune escape which is likely to contribute. A further 3 cases have been identified in Scotland, bringing the total to 13. The individuals who have tested positive and their contacts are all isolating. Our data shows that LFD tests are similarly able to detect COVID-19 in individuals who have been exposed to Omicron as in those exposed to previous variants. UKHSA continues to monitor and study variants of SARS-CoV-2 closely and is working with academic partners to rapidly assess the significance of the lineages BA.4 and BA.5. Although hospitalisations and deaths remain low, cases are still high in some areas and some age groups so its important that we continue to act cautiously as restrictions are lifted. The data suggests this risk is significantly reduced following a booster vaccine, so I urge everyone to take up their booster when eligible. Those are pretty similar to what people experience with a cold or other seasonal viruses. It appears to have a growth advantage compared to the version of Omicron, BA.1, that has swept the globe. Work is underway to identify any links to travel to Southern Africa. Until the week beginning 23 November 2021, the weekly count of cases with SGTF was routinely less than 150, making up less than 0.1% of all cases. According to the COVID Symptom Study, the five most common symptoms are the same: Runny nose, headache, fatigue, sneezing and sore throat. It is the best defence we have against this highly transmissible new variant. When the reduced risk of hospitalisation was combined with vaccine effectiveness against symptomatic disease, the vaccine effectiveness against hospitalisation was estimated as 52% after one dose, 72% 2 to 24 weeks after dose 2, 52% 25+ weeks after dose 2 and 88% 2 weeks after a booster dose. Based on the reports from doctors treating the Covid variant and patients battling. A number of Omicron variants are currently circulating in England, many of which have acquired mutations which may produce a degree of immune escape. If you develop any symptoms, isolate immediately and get a PCR test. There is no data to suggest that BA.2 leads to more severe disease than previous Omicron sub-variants. Analysis by the UKHSA suggests it could be substantial, although there is a risk of over-estimating growth advantage in the early stages. These groups have been prioritised for booster doses since the start of the rollout in September to increase their protection. A thirddose was associated with a 68% (95% confidence interval 52 to 82%) reduced risk of hospitalisation when compared to similar unvaccinated individuals.
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