Analyzes show that the strain with BA.1 and BA.2 is 9.8% more contagious than the subvariant BA.2 of Ômicron
After the Ômicron variant quickly spread around the world and caused an explosion of cases, a subvariant of this new version of covid-19, BA.2, emerged. Some time later, BA.2 merged with BA.1, generating a strain that caught the attention of health authorities.
“Recombinant variants are not an uncommon occurrence, particularly when there are multiple variants in circulation, and several have been identified throughout the pandemic to date.”he said Susan Hopkinschief medical adviser to the UK Health Safety Agency (UKHSA), in a statement.
IS CEPA WITH BA.2 AND BA.1 MORE WORRYING?
Some studies have already pointed out that the strain with BA.1 and BA.2, called XE, seems to be more transmissible. According to UKHSA analysis, the variant proved to be 9.8% more contagious than BA.2. But, As there have been no reports of serious XE infections, the World Health Organization (WHO) does not consider the strain of concern at this time..
The WHO highlights that further studies on XE are still needed, even to understand whether vaccines are effective against the variant. “XE belongs to the Omicron variant until significant differences in transmission and disease characteristics, including severity, can be reported”the WHO explained in a report.
Source: Recreio
