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. This designation means that data relating to BA.2.75 will now be reported separately from other BA.2 cases. Based on the reports from doctors treating the Covid variant and patients battling. One case is located in Camden, London, and one case is located in Wandsworth, London. "Looking at other countries where BA.2 is now overtaking, we're not seeing any higher bumps in hospitalisation than expected," the WHO's Dr Boris Pavlin says. This analysis is preliminary and highly uncertain because of the small numbers of Omicron cases currently in hospital, inability to effectively measure all previous infections and the limited spread of Omicron into older age groups. Our data shows that getting the booster vaccine is more effective against this variant than 2 doses alone. Please take up this offer as soon as you are invited to protect yourself, your families and your communities. Thats why its so important that everybody, everywhere, takes simple steps to protect themselves from infection. Booster doses also increase the protection against symptomatic and asymptomatic infection which will reduce transmission in the population. Those mutations are shared with the original omicron, but BA.2 also has . Teams nationally and locally are working at pace to identify and trace all close contacts of every Omicron case. Please make sure to wear a mask in line with government guidance, including on public transport and in shops, to help break the chains of transmission and slow the spread of this new variant. One study has suggested that it may be difficult to identify this variant . Runny nose/congestion. While signs remain encouraging on Omicrons severity compared with Delta, the high levels of community transmission continue and may cause pressures on health services. The most important thing everyone can do now is to get any vaccine dose that you are eligible for it is by far the most effective action you can take to protect yourself, your families and your communities. 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. In addition, UKHSA has published data which shows the detection of cases exhibiting S-gene target failure (SGTF) in recent weeks across the country. Studiesof households and contactshave found that there is a higher risk of transmission to contacts from an Omicron case, when compared to Delta. However, it is not confirmatory as there are a number of other reasons that a sample might exhibit SGTF. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has released a new variant technical briefing detailing updated analysis of epidemiological and genomic data relating to SARS-CoV-2 variants currently circulating in the UK, including the XBB.1.5 variant which has been increasing in the US in recent months. Available data are limited at this early stage, but it remains likely that the cases identified so far are a result of a number of separate introductions into the country. They could be strangers (for example people you sit next to on public transport) or people you may have regular contact with (for example friends and work colleagues). It contains updated analysis on Omicron hospitalisation risk, vaccine efficacy against symptomatic disease from Omicron, and the COVID-19 reinfection rate. Infection rate corrected to one million infections a day. Protection against hospitalisation from vaccines is good against the Omicron variant. Work is underway to identify any links to travel to Southern Africa. BA.2 Symptoms Not That Different From Omicron, Delta. You can change your cookie settings at any time. This includes analysing live samples of the new variant in our laboratories to investigate properties such as response to current vaccines. 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. However, a small change may be enough to cause a difference in the virus properties in some circumstances. Currently, the Omicron variant has BA.1, BA.2, BA.3, and B.1.1.529 sub-variants, of which the BA.1 was dominant a few months before, and scientists have recently warned about the BA.2 sub-variant . Experts say BA.2 symptoms don't seem to be all that distinct from original Omicron (BA.1) or the immediately preceding Delta variant. At the moment there is much that is not yet clear. 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. Please take up this offer as soon as you are eligible to protect yourself, your families and your communities. As of 17 May, 115 cases of BA.4 and 80 cases of BA.5 have been confirmed in England and the latest UKHSA variant technical briefing has been published today. This particular recombinant, XE, has shown a variable growth rate and we cannot yet confirm whether it has a true growth advantage. The first genomes of this variant were uploaded to the international GISAID database on 22 November. Sajid Javid, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, said: Todays new data shows how important booster jabs are to protect us against this variant. BA.2, also known as "stealth omicron," is considered a subvariant of omicron. B.1.1.529 has a large number of mutations in the gene coding for the spike protein, and also in other parts of the viral genome. These include a high temperature, a new. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published its latest COVID-19 variant technical briefing. Lower back pain. We expect the vaccines to show higher protection against the serious complications of COVID-19, so if you havent yet had your first 2 doses please book an appointment straight away. The World Health Organization has been monitoring SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes Covid-19) since January 2020, during which time the variant Omicron has been identified, which is technically known as BA.1 or B.1.1.529.The WHO is now monitoring a sub-variant of Omicron, known as BA.2, which has been described as "stealth Omicron," because it has genetic mutations that potentially make it . Vaccine effectiveness against severe disease from Omicron is not yet known but is expected to be significantly higher than protection against symptomatic disease. 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. Things you can choose to do are: The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has elevated the classification of the COVID-19 variants Omicron BA.4 and Omicron BA.5 to variants of concern (VOCs) on the basis of observed growth. It is therefore absolutely critical that we all do everything that we can to help break the chains of transmission and slow the spread of this new variant. The public health advice is the same for all current variants. According to the ZOE study - conducted across Omicron and Delta waves for comparison - there are five key symptoms of the Omicron variant. 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. Our data also show that 17.5 per cent of people aged 75 years and over have not had a vaccine within the past six months, putting them more at risk of severe disease. So far, vaccination means that the rise in cases is not translating to a rise in severe illness and deaths. BA.2 has been under close . 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 In its early days, the variant caused an alarming spike in COVID-19 cases in South Africathey went from 300 a day in mid-November 2021 to 3,000 a day at the end of that month. Following the change in JCVI advice today, a booster dose for everyone over 18 years is now recommended and will be available at a minimum of 3 months from your last primary course jab. Analyses of sequenced SGTF samples has indicated that until mid-November, more than 99% of these were Delta cases. No cases have been identified in the UK. Recent studies suggest that BA.2 has a. Data by variant related to intensive care unit admissions is presented and an analysis into the effect of the recent surge of Omicron cases in care homes is also available in the latest technical briefing. Following the first 2 confirmed cases of the SARS-CoV-2 variant known as B.1.1.529 on 27 November, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has identified one further case of COVID-19 with mutations consistent with B.1.1.529 in the UK. Added breakdown of cases by local authority to latest update. UKHSA is carrying out targeted testing at locations where the positive cases were likely to be infectious. This analysis excludes individuals with confirmed previous COVID-19 infection. "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 . Please also make sure to follow all Government guidance to reduce the spread of infection. The omicron variant of the coronavirus was first detected in late 2021. The individuals that have tested positive and their contacts are all isolating. The BA.2 variant is a sibling of the BA.1, which swept across the country over Christmas. Data for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is not included in the UKHSA Technical Briefing. Why Alex Murdaugh was spared the death penalty, Why Trudeau is facing calls for a public inquiry, The shocking legacy of the Dutch 'Hunger Winter', Why half of India's urban women stay at home. Where individuals are identified as being a possible or probable case of Omicron, their close contacts will be contacted and advised they are required to isolate for 10 days, regardless of whether they have been vaccinated or received a negative COVID-19 test result. Continue to exercise caution. 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. To help us improve GOV.UK, wed like to know more about your visit today. New sub-lineages within Delta continue to be identified. 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Whilst Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 are in the early stages of growth in the UK, analysis of the available data suggests that they are likely to have a growth advantage over the currently-dominant Omicron BA.2 variant. We urge these people in particular to get up-to-date. Omicron BA2 symptoms include taste loss. 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 has since swept the globe, eventually vanquishing other variants including delta. It is the best defence we have against this highly transmissible new variant. Congestion. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), nearly 99% of viral DNA submitted to the global GISAID database as of 25 January were identified as this sub-variant. 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. UKHSA has also this week published further vaccine effectiveness data against hospitalisation following a booster dose. The data so far suggests an increase in overall reinfection rates, alongside an increase in first infections. When combined with VE against symptomatic disease, the reduced risk of hospitalisation climbed to 92% 2 to 4 weeks after a third dose of the vaccine, down to 83% after 10 weeks or more. Neutralisation studies are currently being undertaken at the University of Oxford. Fourteen people are reported to have died within 28 days of an Omicron diagnosis, ranging in age from 52 to 96 years old. Of those patients admitted to hospital,17had received a booster vaccine, 74 people had 2 doses and 27 people were not vaccinated. UKHSA is updating its variant classification system to give a clearer indication of which variants have significant changes compared to the current dominant variant. Vaccine effectiveness (VE) against Omicron has again been updated in this weeks briefing. UKHSA analysis shows that the risk of hospital admission for an identified case with Omicron is reduced compared to a case of Delta. That's because there could be cross-immunity - an infection with BA.1 could offer some protection against BA.2. 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. 1. 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. Updated Jan. 27, 2023 The omicron subvariant of COVID-19, BA.5, became one of the dominant strains of the virus in the fall of 2022 in the U.S. At that time, it was the most easily spread strain to date and is able to evade immunity from COVID infection and vaccination. Thanks to the expertise of scientists at UKHSA and partner organisations, were able to respond quickly to new variations of the virus. We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services. 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. Take a vaccine to protect yourself against COVID-19. Data on this wont be available for several weeks. As I previously reported, omicron subvariants have a shorter incubation period, which is why the symptoms may appear earlier. 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. While in the UK, the individual was in Westminster, London. UKHSA has performed an initial laboratory evaluation of the current lateral flow devices (LFDs) for COVID-19 in current use in the UK. 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. However, cases of the variant continue to rise at an extraordinary rate already surpassing the record daily number in the pandemic. ROCHESTER, Minn. The World Health Organization designated COVID-19 variant B.1.1.529, named omicron, a "variant of concern" on Nov. 26, 2021, and the first confirmed case in the U.S. was on Dec. 1, 2021. According to Baric, Omicron is the first SARS-CoV-2 variant to evolve in the context of mounting immunity in the populationthe result of vaccines and prior infection with other forms of the . You have accepted additional cookies. It remains vital that anyone with COVID-19 symptoms isolates and gets aPCRtest immediately. Under the new system, the variant of concern (VOC) label will be assigned to variants which are currently emerging or circulating, and which the following characteristics can be confirmed or predicted: 1. This increased to 63% for BA.1 and 70% for BA.2 at 2 weeks following a third vaccine. We have now identified cases in the East Midlands, East of England, London, South East and North West. There is currently no data on the severity of BA.2. According to the CDC, the Omicron variant spreads more easily than the original SARS-CoV-2 virus and the Delta variant. "We must remain vigilant and take up vaccinations. Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said: This data is yet more evidence that vaccines remain our best line of defence against COVID-19. However, it should be noted both that this is early data and more research is required to confirm these findings.