The variant technical briefing also includes updated analysis on Omicron BA.2, currently the dominant variant in the UK. Technical Briefing 34 contains further analysis on symptom comparison on Omicron and Delta. The most commonly-reported symptoms with the original Omicron variant were cough, fatigue, headache, congestion, and runny nose. Working alongside Cambridge University MRC Biostatistics unit, UKHSA analysed 528,176 Omicron cases and 573,012 Delta cases between 22 November and 26 December to assess the risk of hospitalisation in England after testing positive for Omicron. ; An increase in new cases is being . As of 18 July 2022, there were 24 cases of BA.2.75 in the UK. This assessment is based on analysis of UK data showing increased household transmission risk, increased secondary attack rates (such as the chance of each case infecting another individual) and increased growth rates compared to Delta. The individuals that have tested positive and their contacts are all isolating. A major ailment is not to be expected for the age group 20-50 years. It is not clear where BA.2 originated, but it was first detected in the Philippines in November. Work is underway to identify any links to travel to Southern Africa. We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services. We continue to monitor all recombinants closely, routinely through our world-leading genomic surveillance and sequencing capability. It appears to have a growth advantage compared to the version of Omicron, BA.1, that has swept the globe. UKHSA encourage everyone to continue to follow the most up-to date guidance. Dont include personal or financial information like your National Insurance number or credit card details. While in the UK, the individual was in Westminster, London. There is still uncertainty around the significance of the changes to the viral genome, and further analyses will now be undertaken. Please wear face coverings in line with government guidance, let in fresh air when mixing indoors and wash your hands regularly. 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. 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. Data for the devolved administrations will follow in due course. Of those patients admitted to hospital,17had received a booster vaccine, 74 people had 2 doses and 27 people were not vaccinated. Infection rate corrected to one million infections a day. So far there is not enough evidence to draw conclusions about transmissibility, severity or vaccine effectiveness. Continue to exercise caution. Studiesof households and contactshave found that there is a higher risk of transmission to contacts from an Omicron case, when compared to Delta. This analysis is not an assessment of hospital severity, which will take further time to assess. UKHSAis carrying out targeted testing at locations where the positive cases were likely to be infectious. As I previously reported, omicron subvariants have a shorter incubation period, which is why the symptoms may appear earlier. The full document and underlying data is available on GOV.UK. With the original version of the omicron variant, which swept across the U.S. at a dizzying speed last winter, the loss of taste and smell was not as common as with the earlier alpha and delta variants. The individuals who have tested positive and their contacts are all isolating. It is not unexpected to see new lineages and continued investigation is a normal part of the surveillance of an infectious disease. In addition, UKHSA has published data which shows the detection of cases exhibiting S-gene target failure (SGTF) in recent weeks across the country. 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. Evidence continues to show that Omicron is transmitting more rapidly than the dominant Delta variant. Omicron BA.2.75, the variant derived from the BA.2 lineage which was identified internationally earlier this month, has now been categorised as a separate variant and given the designation V-22JUL-01. As of 20 December,132individuals with confirmed Omicron have been admitted to or transferred from emergency departments. The data so far suggests an increase in overall reinfection rates, alongside an increase in first infections. A booster dose was associated with a 74% reduced risk of hospitalisation in the first 2 to 4 weeks after vaccination, with the figure dropping to 66% 10 weeks or more after this dose. All 3 subvariants have spike protein mutations of L452 and elude immunity from prior BA1 infection. Fourteen people are reported to have died within 28 days of an Omicron diagnosis, ranging in age from 52 to 96 years old. All age groups are affected, including the 75s and over, who are due a spring booster jab to top up protection. It is still too early to determine next steps, so please stay cautious this Christmas and get your booster as soon as possible to protect yourself and your loved ones. In the UK, 38 cases of XF have been identified, though none have been seen since mid February. 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 . 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. It is also vital to continue with all the other precautions we have become used to throughout the pandemic keep indoor areas well ventilated, wear a face covering in enclosed spaces, and take a rapid lateral flow (or LFD) test before a situation where you may be at high risk of catching or passing on the virus. However, it remains too early to draw any definitive conclusions on hospital severity, and the increased transmissibility of Omicron and the rising cases in the over 60s population in England means it remains highly likely that there will be significant pressure on the NHS in coming weeks. While evidence is still emerging, so far it does not appear this variant causes more severe disease or renders the vaccines currently deployed any less effective. The study also showed evidence to suggest that the BA.2 sub-variant is better able to evade vaccines. 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. Booster doses also increase the protection against symptomatic and asymptomatic infection which will reduce transmission in the population. There is currently no data on the severity of BA.2. More evidence is needed to know whether this is due to changes in the virus behaviour or to epidemiological conditions. Read about our approach to external linking. The proportion of test results displaying SGTF has been very low in recent months but an increase has been observed in the past week. As viruses mutate often and at random, it is not unusual for small numbers of cases to arise featuring new sets of mutations. Spector shared a list of symptom prevalence from people who had tested positive for COVID, most of whom were estimated to have caught BA.2, he said. Vaccination is critical to help us bolster our defences against this new variant please get your first, second or booster jab without delay. Can Nigeria's election result be overturned? XBB (V-22OCT-02) is a recombinant lineage derived from 2 previous Omicron sublineages. The new strain has several key mutations, with the most important of those occurring in the spike protein that studs the outside of the virus. The assessment suggests that Omicron is displaying a significant growth advantage over Delta, meaning that it is likely to outcompete Delta in the UK and become the dominant variant. It is never too late to come forward for your first dose and its vital that everyone comes forward to get boosted now as we head into the new year. Our exceptional vaccine rollout means the number of people severely affected by COVID-19 is low, and the UKs innovation and research has discovered life-saving treatments for those most at risk from COVID-19. UKHSA will continue to monitor the situation closely as a matter of routine, as we do all data relating to SARS-CoV-2 variants both in the UK and internationally. Due to the early nature of the findings, all estimates are subject to significant uncertainty and are subject to change. But it is worth noting that Denmark has seen similar trends in terms of hospital admissions and intensive care as the UK has, suggesting BA.2 does not mark a sea-change in severity. 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. It contains epidemiological data and updated analysis of COVID-19 variants currently circulating in the UK. Headache. Runny or congested nose Feeling fatigued Headache New, continuous cough Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing Muscle or body aches New loss of a sense of taste or smell Sore throat Nausea or vomiting Diarrhoea They advise that if you develop one or more of these symptoms you should take a Covid test as soon as possible. A second BTN162b2 booster was previously found to be 52% and 72% effective in preventing Omicron BA.1 infection and hospitalization, respectively, in adults 60 years. Its critical that anyone with COVID-19 symptoms isolates and gets aPCRtest immediately. At the moment there is much that is not yet clear. Consider wearing a face covering when in crowded places. However, confidence levels for severity indicators for children are low because further analysis is required to compare the risk of hospitalisation between Omicron and Delta, and to assess the clinical nature of illness in children. While BA.1 and BA.2 are similar, they are 20 mutations apart. Working from home where possible, consistently wearing masks in crowded or enclosed spaces, washing your hands regularly and isolating and getting tested if you feel unwell are also vitally important in reducing the impact of COVID-19 this winter. What are the symptoms of BA.2? Both are variants in the Omicron family. The BA.2 subvariant of the COVID-19 virus is now the dominant coronavirus strain in the world, and while health officials are saying the subvariant acts like the original omicron version of the . The designation was made on the basis of increasing numbers of BA.2 sequences identified both domestically and internationally. Get vaccinated and, for those eligible, come forward for your third or booster dose as appropriate as soon as you are called. But Omicron is an umbrella term for several closely related lineages of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, the most common of which is the BA.1 lineage. As of 24 January 2022, 1,072 genomically confirmed cases of BA.2 have been identified in England and all assessments remain preliminary whilst case numbers are relatively low. An estimated 78.7% of confirmed cases in England are BA.5 which was first identified in April and was designated as a Variant of Concern on 18 May. 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. The first genomes of this variant were uploaded to the international GISAID database on 22 November. A separate UK study also found higher transmissibility for BA.2 compared to BA.1. The five most common symptoms of Omicron are: runny nose;. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has released variant technical briefing 41. Among those who had received 2 doses of Pfizer or Moderna, effectiveness dropped from around 65 to 70% down to around 10% by 20 weeks after the seconddose. It is the best defence we have against this highly transmissible new variant. ; BA.5 sometimes gives rise to more marked symptomssometimes with digestive symptoms . COVID-19 has not gone away, so it is also vitally important that people continue to follow the guidance. SGTF is not a 100% accurate test for Omicron and results are regularly evaluated against sequencing to ensure they are interpreted correctly. However, it should serve as objective evidence that this pandemic is not over. Neither BQ.1 nor XBB have been designated as variants of concern and UKHSA is monitoring the situation closely, as always. The BA.2 subvariant has been referred to as stealth Omicron because it contains genetic mutations that can make it harder to distinguish from the . There are simple things you can do in your daily life that will help reduce the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory infections and protect those at highest risk. We have now identified cases in the East Midlands, East of England, London, South East and North West. It is critical that anyone with COVID-19 symptoms isolates and gets a PCR test immediately. The worst symptom is a "throat on fire," said University of California, San Francisco's Dr. Peter Chin-Hong. Fatigue. Please take up this offer as soon as you are eligible to protect yourself, your families and your communities. The Delta variant sub-lineage known as Delta AY.4.2 was designated a variant under investigation (VUI) by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) on 20 October 2021 and has been given the official name VUI-21OCT-01. Dr Meera Chand, Director of Clinical and Emerging Infection at UKHSA, said: It is not unexpected to see new variants of SARS-CoV-2 emerge. This will include analysing live samples of the new variant in our laboratories to investigate properties including its response to current vaccines. As we cautiously return to Plan A, I encourage you to give yourself and your loved ones the best protection possible and Get Boosted Now. As of 2 May 2022, 21 confirmed cases of Omicron BA.4 and 19 confirmed cases of Omicron BA.5 have been detected in England. It will take only 2 minutes to fill in. BA.2 is found to be able to alarmingly reinfect patients originally infected by Omicron BA.1. Two-thirds with Omicron say they had Covid before. Aside from all of the usual COVID symptoms, like a dry cough, a scratchy throat, fatigue, and muscle aches, the Stealth variant is thought to cause a few other distinct issues. Six cases of the SARS-CoV-2 variant known as B.1.1.529 have also been identified in Scotland, with 4 cases in the Lanarkshire area and 2 in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area. These include a high temperature, a new. You have rejected additional cookies. There is further data showing that effectiveness against symptomatic disease is significantly lower compared to the Delta variant, and wanes more quickly. It has since swept the globe, eventually vanquishing other variants including delta. These groups have been prioritised for booster doses since the start of the rollout in September to increase their protection. We continue to urge everyone who is eligible to get a COVID-19 vaccine and booster. The latest number of COVID-19 cases with mutations consistent with B.1.1.529 in England are published on UKHSAs social media channels. How are Covid rules changing across UK schools? 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. Omicron has a deletion atposition69/70of the spike proteinwhich allows it to be tracked through S gene target failure(SGTF)in some PCR tests. The most affected local authorities are West Northamptonshire, where there are 49 confirmed cases and 68 SGTF, and Manchester, where there are 7 confirmed cases and 61 SGTF. "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. The individuals and their households have been told to self-isolate. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has released variant technical briefing 50. We have now identified cases in the East Midlands, East of England, London, South East and North West. One dose of any vaccine was associated with a 35% reduced risk of hospitalisation among symptomatic cases with the Omicron variant, 2 doses with a 67% reduction up to 24 weeks after the seconddose and a 51% reduced risk 25 or more weeks after the seconddose. And in England, more than 1,000 confirmed cases of BA.2 have been identified, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). We urge these people in particular to get up-to-date. The risk assessment also suggests that Omicron displays a reduction in protection offered by having had a previous infection or vaccination. 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. The total number of confirmed cases in England is now 22. There are thought to be subtle differences in the symptoms that BA. #India is another country where #SARS_CoV_2 BA.2 is rapidly replacing #Delta & #Omicron BA.1. It is already the dominant variant in several states and likely drove the country's recent third wave of infections. Stay at home if you have any respiratory symptoms or a fever and limit contact with others until you are feeling better, particularly if they are likely to be at greater risk if they contract COVID-19. The five key Omicron symptoms. Vaccine effectiveness (VE) against Omicron has again been updated in this weeks briefing. 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. BA.2.75.2 as a new variant but singled it out as an . A further 16 cases have been identified in Scotland, bringing the total in Scotland to 29. And even if it does become the dominant version of Omicron, it may not actually alter the trajectory of the pandemic in countries that have seen a big wave of BA.1. In a lot of ways, it's a bad cold, a lot of respiratory symptoms, stuffy nose, coughing, body aches and fatigue," said Dr. Dennis Cunningham, the system medical director of infection control and. Top of the list with a prevalence of 80. BA.2, also known as "stealth omicron," is considered a subvariant of omicron. moderate COVID-19 symptoms who are at high risk of . As previously published, data continues to show vaccine effectiveness against hospitalisation for Omicron remains high. Initial data suggests that LFDs are as likely to detect Omicron as other variants including Delta, which has been the dominant variant in the UK from May to December 2021. The guidance on vaccination is changing to help all of us bolster our defences in the face of this new variant. 2023 BBC. Early analyses suggest an increased growth rate compared to BA.1, however, growth rates have a low level of certainty early in the emergence of a variant and further analysis is needed. One of the most common symptoms of the Omicron subvariant BA.2 is nausea. There is no data to suggest that BA.2 leads to more severe disease than previous Omicron sub-variants. 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. The B.1.1.529variant includes a large number of spike protein mutations as well as mutations in other parts of the viral genome. The analysis looked at 581 people with confirmed Omicron. Dr Meera Chand, Director of Clinical and Emerging Infections, UKHSA, said: Through our genomic surveillance we continue to see evolution of variants in the Omicron family. We will continue to closely analyse all available biological, epidemiological and genomic evidence for any SARS-CoV-2 variant in the UK or internationally. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has identified 7 further cases of COVID-19 with mutations consistent with B.1.1.529 in England, in addition to the previous 22 confirmed cases of the SARS-CoV-2 variant known as B.1.1.529. 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. There are no confirmed cases in Northern Ireland. The data suggests this risk is significantly reduced following a booster vaccine, so I urge everyone to take up their booster when eligible. Anewrisk assessment for OmicronVOC-21NOV-01 (B.1.1.529)has also been published and is available here. The breakdown of cases by local authority is: The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has identified 9 further cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) with mutations consistent with B.1.1.529 in England, in addition to the previous 13 confirmed cases of the SARS-CoV-2 variant known as B.1.1.529. As set out last week, the effectiveness of all vaccines against symptomatic infection continues to be lower in all periods against Omicron compared to Delta. So far, there is insufficient evidence to determine whether BA.2 causes more severe illness than Omicron BA.1, but data is limited and UKHSA continues to investigate. Everyone should complete a primary course as soon as possible for most this will be a first and second dose. In some places, growth in recorded cases of the sub-variant has been sharp. The omicron variant of the coronavirus was first detected in late 2021. In a subgroup analysis of 4,800 people who were triple-vaccinated and infected with an omicron variant, the authors found that people with BA.2 were 64 percent more likely than BA.1-infected . According to the COVID Symptom Study, the five most common symptoms are the same: Runny nose, headache, fatigue, sneezing and sore throat. Well be undertaking further analysis to investigate the small rise in the number of children admitted to hospital but currently coronavirus (COVID-19) poses a very low health risk to children and infants. Early data shows that young children who are hospitalised experience mild illness and are discharged after short stays in hospital. Of these, 20 were in England, 3 in Scotland and 1 in Wales. Dr Mary Ramsay, Head of Immunisation at UKHSA, said: These early estimates should be treated with caution but they indicate that a few months after the second jab, there is a greater risk of catching the Omicron variant compared to Delta strain. Omicron has branched into three lineages, explains Thomas Russo, M.D., professor and chief of infectious disease at the University at Buffalo in New York: BA.1, BA.2, and BA.3. BA2 Variant is overtaking Delta and Omicron Cases at rapid speed. Work is underway to identify any links to travel. Runny nose (especially in combination with loss of smell) A runny nose is a universal sign of cold, flu and now COVID-19. They save lives and prevent serious illness. It is therefore vital that people continue to exercise caution in order to limit the transmission of the virus. The two most reported symptom of patients infected by the Stealth Omicron variant is -dizziness and fatigue. After 2 doses, vaccine effectiveness was 9% and 13% respectively for BA.1 and BA.2, after 25+ weeks. The latest data confirmed that among those who had received 2 doses of AstraZeneca, there was no effect against Omicron from 20 weeks after the second dose. UKHSAwill continue to carry out laboratory and epidemiological investigations to better understand the characteristics of this variant. Thats why its so important that everybody, everywhere, takes simple steps to protect themselves from infection. UKHSA are continuing to monitor data on the BA.2 sub-lineage closely. A runny nose, gastrointestinal. Updated analysisshows theadditional incremental benefit from each vaccine exposureincluding for boosters, even in those who have had prior infection. There is currently insufficient evidence to draw conclusions about growth advantage or other properties of this variant. The same happened with Omicron, which includes the lineages BA.1, BA.2, BA.3 and B.1.1.529. Trends in SGTF over and time are however affected by the coverage of laboratories contributing to this surveillance data. If you have any symptoms, take a test. The original Delta variant remains overwhelmingly dominant in the UK, making up approximately 99.8% of all cases. Please also make sure to follow all Government guidance to reduce the spread of infection. These are some of the symptoms that you should be looking out for: High temperature. Of these, XD and XF are recombinants of Delta and Omicron BA.1, while XE is a recombinant of Omicron BA.1 and BA.2. At this point it is not possible to determine where the sublineage may have originated. While signs remain encouraging on Omicrons severity compared with Delta, the high levels of community transmission continue and may cause pressures on health services. Please take up this offer as soon as you are invited to protect yourself, your families and your communities. A study of 8,500 households and 18,000 individuals conducted by Denmark's SSI found that BA.2 was "substantially" more transmissible than BA.1. The data once again shows that coming forward for your jab, particularly your third dose, is the best way of protecting yourself and others against infection and severe disease. Please take up this offer as soon as you are eligible to protect yourself, your families and your communities. 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. 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. Night sweats Scratchy throat Dry cough Mild muscle aches In data published by the UKHSA on January 14, they found that NHS test and trace data revealed a loss of smell or taste was reported less. Dr Jenny Harries, UKHSA Chief Executive, said: Our latest analysis shows an encouraging early signal that people who contract the Omicron variant may be at a relatively lower risk of hospitalisation than those who contract other variants. Typical meningitis symptoms include neck stiffness or pain, numbness, tingling, and sensitivity to light. "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 . There are small numbers of cases in the UK and this designation is intended to allow investigation into the specific properties of this variant. Its 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. It is one for the scientists to watch, rather than for the public to be alarmed about at this stage. 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. As we learn to live safely with COVID-19, there are actions we can all take to help reduce the risk of catching COVID-19 and passing it on to others. 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. However, some experts believe that BA.2 doesn't present symptoms different from the original Omicron. Twoto4 weeks after a booster dose, vaccine effectiveness ranged from around 65 to 75%, dropping to 55 to 70% at 5 to 9 weeks and 40 to 50% from 10+ weeks after the booster. This data shows that protection against severe illness from COVID-19 remains at over 90% in those aged 65 and over up to 14 weeks after a booster dose. Studies have also shown that Omicron infects and multiplies in the upper airways 70 times faster than the previous Delta variant. The vaccination status was unknown for 6 people, while 8 had received a single dose. UKHSA is gathering scientific information as quickly as possible in order to inform the right balance of interventions to prevent transmission and protect lives. As always, the booster vaccine remains the best protection against infection. As with any other coronavirus (COVID-19) variant, the vast majority do not confer any advantage to the virus and die out relatively quickly.
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