London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Oct 28, 2025

Omicron Subvariant BA.2 Is Gaining Ground. Should We Worry?

Omicron Subvariant BA.2 Is Gaining Ground. Should We Worry?

Omicron is more transmissible than delta, the variant that became globally dominant in the middle of last year, and the new subvariant is especially infectious.

Two years into the pandemic, a mutated version of the omicron variant, known as BA.2, has become the latest challenge to taming COVID-19.

The subvariant, detected in at least 57 countries, appears to spread even more easily than the original. But so far it doesn't seem to cause more severe disease and booster shots remain an effective shield. Scientists are racing to answer a number of questions about this variant as they prepare for the next one.

How transmissible is BA.2?


Omicron is more transmissible than delta, the variant that became globally dominant in the middle of last year, and the new subvariant is especially infectious. Take Denmark, where BA.2 has quickly gained ground. A study based on about 8,500 households in December and January found that people infected with BA.2 spread the virus to an average of 39% of susceptible household members, versus 29% for the original omicron variant. That's in line with preliminary U.K. data.

Is BA.2 more dangerous than Omicron?


Omicron and its related strains appear less likely than earlier variants to cause serious illness, particularly in vaccinated people. The World Health Organization said this week that BA.2 doesn't seem more severe than the original omicron variant, based on evidence from Denmark, where its spread hadn't led to unexpected spikes in hospitalizations. In announcing the end of coronavirus restrictions late last month, the Danish government declared the disease no longer poses a threat to society, even as cases hit a record high.

How well do vaccines work against it?


The data suggest some Covid vaccines are less effective at preventing infections caused by omicron than previous variants, while still doing a good job protecting against severe disease. Although the subvariant appears to be even more contagious, Covid shots -- in particular booster doses -- are just as effective against BA.2, according to initial findings from U.K. health authorities. By 25 weeks or more after the second dose, vaccines blocked 13% of cases -- a rate that increased to 70% two weeks after a booster.

How does BA.2 differ from the original?


The latest iteration of the coronavirus represents a small minority of infections but has rapidly spread in countries such as South Africa, Denmark, India and England. The two versions differ by some 40 mutations, including a key alteration in the spike region of BA.2. While the two are related, there are enough differences to drive a change in behavior. The milder form of most omicron cases in vaccinated people may leave those who recover still vulnerable to existing virus and future variants, according to researchers.

What does it mean for the pandemic?


Virus hunters are trying to better understand the properties of BA.2 as they brace for future variants, and some believe BA.2 could prolong the omicron wave. The characteristics of the subvariant may lead to a "substantially longer tail of circulation of omicron," computational biologist Trevor Bedford of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center said in a Jan. 28 Twitter post. A potentially slower decline in cases could lead to higher hospitalizations and pose a problem for countries with lower vaccination rates.

Comments

Oh ya 4 year ago
Ah Saturday morning fear porn to keep the stupid people scared. They judge this test by looking and seeing how many morons are driving alone in their cars with masks on. Unfortunately they are still winning as I see lots doing just that

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Bill Gates at 70: “I Have a Real Fear of Artificial Intelligence – and Also Regret”
Elon Musk Unveils Grokipedia: An AI-Driven Alternative to Wikipedia
Saudi Arabia Unveils Vision for First-Ever "Sky Stadium" Suspended Over Desert Floor
Amazon Announces 14 000 Corporate Job Cuts as AI Investment Accelerates
UK Shop Prices Fall for First Time Since March, Food Leads the Decline
London Stock Exchange Group ADR (LNSTY) Earns Zacks Rank #1 Upgrade on Rising Earnings Outlook
Soap legend Tony Adams, long-time star of Crossroads, dies at 84
Rachel Reeves Signals Tax Increases Ahead of November Budget Amid £20-50 Billion Fiscal Gap
NatWest Past Gains of 314% Spotlight Opportunity — But Some Key Risks Remain
UK Launches ‘Golden Age’ of Nuclear with £38 Billion Sizewell C Approval
UK Announces £1.08 Billion Budget for Offshore Wind Auction to Boost 2030 Capacity
UK Seeks Steel Alliance with EU and US to Counter China’s Over-Capacity
UK Struggles to Balance China as Both Strategic Threat and Valued Trading Partner
Argentina’s Markets Surge as Milei’s Party Secures Major Win
British Journalist Sami Hamdi Detained by U.S. Authorities After Visa Revocation Amid Israel-Gaza Commentary
King Charles Unveils UK’s First LGBT+ Armed Forces Memorial at National Memorial Arboretum
At ninety-two and re-elected: Paul Biya secures eighth term in Cameroon amid unrest
Racist Incidents Against UK Nurses Surge by 55%
UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves Cites Shared Concerns With Trump Administration as Foundation for Early US-UK Trade Deal
Essentra plc: A Closer Look at a UK ‘Penny Stock’ Opportunity Amid Market Weakness
U.S. and China Near Deal to Avert Rare-Earth Export Controls Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit
Justin time: Justin Herbert Shields Madison Beer with Impressive Reflex at Lakers Game
Russia’s President Putin Declares Burevestnik Nuclear Cruise Missile Ready for Deployment
Giuffre’s Memoir Alleges Maxwell Claimed Sexual Act with Clooney
House Republicans Move to Strip NYC Mayoral Front-Runner Zohran Mamdani of U.S. Citizenship
Record-High Spoiled Ballots Signal Voter Discontent in Ireland’s 2025 Presidential Election
Philippines’ Taal Volcano Erupts Overnight with 2.4 km Ash Plume
Albania’s Virtual AI 'Minister' Diella Set to 'Birth' Eighty-Three Digital Assistants for MPs
Tesla Unveils Vision for Optimus V3 as ‘Biggest Product of All Time’, Including Surgical Capabilities
Francis Ford Coppola Auctions Luxury Watches After Self-Financed Film Flop
Convicted Sex Offender Mistakenly Freed by UK Prison Service Arrested in London
United States and China Begin Constructive Trade Negotiations Ahead of Trump–Xi Summit
U.S. Treasury Sanctions Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro over Drug-Trafficking Allegations
Miss USA Crowns Nebraska’s Audrey Eckert Amid Leadership Overhaul
‘I Am Not Done’: Kamala Harris Signals Possible 2028 White House Run
NBA Faces Integrity Crisis After Mass Arrests in Gambling Scandal
Swift Heist at the Louvre Sees Eight French Crown Jewels Stolen in Under Seven Minutes
U.S. Halts Trade Talks with Canada After Ontario Ad Using Reagan Voice Triggers Diplomatic Fallout
Microsoft AI CEO: ‘We’re making an AI that you can trust your kids to use’ — but can Microsoft rebuild its own trust before fixing the industry’s?
China and Russia Deploy Seductive Espionage Networks to Infiltrate U.S. Tech Sector
Apple’s ‘iPhone Air’ Collapses After One Month — Another Major Misstep for the Tech Giant
Graham Potter Begins New Chapter as Sweden Head Coach on Short-Term Deal
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa Alleges Poison Plot via Chocolate and Jam
Lakestar to Halt External Fundraising as Investor in Revolut and Spotify
U.S. Innovation Ranking Under Scrutiny as China Leads Output Outputs but Ranks 10th
Three Men Arrested in London on Suspicion of Spying for Russia
Porsche Reverses EV Strategy as New CEO Bets on Petrol and Hybrids
Singapore’s Prime Minister Warns of ‘Messy’ Transition to Post-American Global Order
Andreessen Horowitz Sets Sights on Ten-Billion-Dollar Fund for Tech Surge
US Administration Under President Donald Trump Reportedly Lifts Ban on Ukraine’s Use of Storm Shadow Missiles Against Russia
×