Omicron subtype BA.2 increasingly dominant in Austria

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Omicron subtype BA.2 is gaining dominance in Austria – and is expected to leave BA.1 behind in the coming weeks, according to the Covid Forecast Consortium.

According to new findings, the omicron subtype BA.2, which experts closely watch, seems to differ significantly in specific characteristics from the Corona subtype BA.1, which is still dominant in Austria.
This is indicated by study data published in preprint – i.e., without peer review – by most Japanese researchers. The differences include the probably significantly higher transmissibility of BA.2 and the immune response and pathogenicity.

Based on the recorded differences in human cell samples in the laboratory and infection trials in hamsters, for example, the authors propose a separate letter of the Greek alphabet for BA.2. This naming convention for relevant corona variants is determined by the World Health Organization (WHO). The research, the study authors said, overall suggested: “that the risk of BA.2 to global health is potentially higher than that of BA.1.” Divi Intensive Registry Scientific Director Christian Karagiannidis, referring to the study, wrote on Twitter Wednesday, “We need to keep a very close eye on BA.2. There seem to be biological differences with BA.1.”