Omicron BA.2 Subvariant More Contagious

The BA.2 subvariance, which is 33 percent more infectious than the original Omicron variant, has now been detected in 57 countries. With the discovery of this variant in Indonesia, the risk of a spike in Covid-19 cases could be even higher.

The weekly epidemiological report from the World Health Organization (WHO) said the highly contagious subvariant of Omicron, BA.2, has now been detected in 57 countries. This subvariant has also accounted for more than half of the Omicron cases analyzed for genome sequences. Epidemiologist and WHO Chief Technical Officer Maria Van Kerkhove said at a press conference, preliminary data showed BA.2 had a slight increase in growth rate compared to BA.1, the first version of the Omicron variant. "There is no indication that there is a change in severity in the BA..2 sub-variant," he said. The highly contagious Omicron is generally known to cause less severe disease compared to earlier variants such as Delta. However, data in a number of countries also shows an increase in cases followed by the total number of fatalities. In fact, a number of countries, such as Australia, have experienced the highest number of deaths due to Covid-19. Griffith University epidemiologist, Dicky Budiman, said that with the discovery of the BA.2 subvariant, Indonesia must be aware of the spike in Covid-19 cases faster than previously thought. "There must be a faster response so that it is not too late in anticipating a spike in cases," he said.

|•SOURCE•| Articles :TEMPO | Image :YAHOO |

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