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in collaboration with
Dr Gérald Kierzek (Medical Director of Doctissimo)
Medical validation:
July 12, 2022
After BA.2 and BA.5, place at BA.2.75. This newcomer to the Omicron family has recently been closely monitored by scientists. But what should we think of it? Should we be worried about it? The answers of Dr Gérald Kierzek.
It is gaining ground in India and the United States. This virus is BA 2.75, a sub-variant of Omicron that the World Health Organization (WHO) has just placed on a “blacklist”. The reason ? It would seem even more contagious than its predecessors.
A variant that greatly worries scientists
This descendant of BA.2 spotted at the beginning of June in India, said to be of “second generation”, presents a mutation profile which leaves many experts perplexed.
It indeed seems able to spread faster than its predecessors and brilliantly circumvents immunity – by countering the effectiveness of vaccines and antibodies made during previous infections.
On the other hand, it is not yet known whether BA.2.75 would cause more severe effects than other Omicron variants, in particular BA.5.
Worldwide, this “second generation” variant is present in India, where it is associated with the new wave of Covid-19, but also in Denmark, Germany and the United Kingdom, as well as in Canada, Australia , New Zealand and the West Coast of the United States.
“It is still very early to draw conclusions, explains Matthew Binnicker, director of the virology clinic at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. But it does look like, especially in India, transmission rates are showing an exponential increase.”.
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A higher number of mutations
Scientists are also concerned about the high number of mutations that differentiate this new variant from older coronaviruses (8 new mutations compared to BA.2).
Some of these mutations concern the “spike protein”, in other words the key which allows Covid-19 to enter our cells. Result: these could allow the virus “bind more effectively to human cells“, specifies Matthew Binnicker.
But for Dr. Kierzek, emergency physician and medical director of Doctissimo, the discovery of BA.2.75 must be taken with a grain of salt:
“It is just one more variant, which results from the natural evolution of the virus. BA 2.75 is just more contagious, but it does not seem to pose a problem in terms of virulence. So do not panic”assures the emergency doctor.
Only point of attention: “as it is more contagious, continuing to protect the most fragile is necessary”says the expert.