Just as COVID cases seem to be declining in the United States and life returning to normal (for the most part), a new variant has recently emerged: the BA.2 variant, also known as “stealth omicron.” And over the past few weeks, we’re learning more and more about it. But is this subvariant something we need to worry about? Here’s everything we know so far, according to medical experts.
What is the BA.2 variant?
The Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 refers to certain lineages that are related, but contain different mutations, or changes in the genetic makeup of the virus, Dr. Erica Johnson, MD, the chair of the Infectious Disease Board of the American Board of Internal Medicine, and doctor of internal medicine at the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center in Baltimore, explains.So BA.2 is one of those Omicron lineages, and the original Omicron variant is classified as lineage BA.1.
Here’s what we know about BA.2 so far
Doctors agree there is no evidence to indicate BA.2 will result in more severe symptoms. “BA.2 seems to be more transmissible than BA.1,” Johnson says. “But we are not seeing evidence yet that it causes more severe disease.” This subvariant can also be detected by molecular tests. “We know it is most closely related to Omicron itself. Despite the name ‘stealth,’ it can be detected by molecular tests and we have evaluated if the Anavasi Diagnostics Covid test will detect BA.2 and it will,” Dr. Michael Blaivas, MD, Chief Medical Officer at Anavasi Diagnostics, explains. “Some antigen tests could struggle potentially, but many weaker ones have already been pulled off the market by the FDA previously.” Therefore, you can still rely on the molecular COVID test you would have gotten before. There is no evidence BA.2 makes people sicker than omicron did, Dr. Blaivas adds.
Could Europe’s rise in cases be a signal of what’s to come for the U.S.?
Yes, that is the typical pattern from what we have seen over the past two years. “We are watching what is happening in Europe closely because there are concerns that we could see a similar pattern in the US in the coming weeks,” Dr. Johnson states. “Historically during the pandemic, the rise in transmission in the US has lagged a few weeks behind some European countries.” We should see our cases really rising in the next three to five weeks, as they are spiking in European countries even with near perfect vaccination rates, Dr. Blaivas says.
How much should you worry about BA.2 if you’re vaccinated?
We know that vaccination does not always keep you from getting infected or from spreading the infection to others, Dr. Blaivas explains. What we do know is that for higher-risk patients vaccination can be a lifesaver, resulting in much milder disease than without vaccination. Given that vaccination tends to keep at-risk people out of the ICU and from dying and that BA.2 (so far) appears to cause relatively mild symptoms in many people, vaccinated individuals should not get too sick. Next up: We Keep Hearing That COVID Will Eventually Become ‘Endemic’—but What Does That Actually Mean?
Sources
Dr. Erica Johnson, the chair of the Infectious Disease Board of the American Board of Internal Medicine, and doctor of internal medicine at the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center in BaltimoreDr. Michael Blaivas, Chief Medical Officer at Anavasi Diagnostics
