New data on the BA.2 variant: more contagious, it spreads

Appeared at the end of November in South Africa, the variant Omicron spread to the speed of the’flash in the world. According to’World Health Organization (WHO), over the last 30 days, 98.3% of cases were linked to the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2. This is actually made up of several sub-variants: the BA.1 which is in the majority, the BA.2 which is currently in the minority, but also the BA.1.1 and the BA.3.

At the beginning of February, BA.2 accounted for approximately 20% of Omicron cases on the Planet. Since then, the number of cases linked to this variant has continued to increase while the total number of reports worldwide is in freefall. It is gradually spreading, both in countries that have not yet reached the Omicron peak and in countries that observe a decline in the epidemic.

In some countries, it has even become dominant and the cases of BA.2 are more numerous than those of BA.1: Bangladesh, Brunei Darussalam, China, Denmark, Guam, India, Montenegro, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines… the countries where it spreads, the BA.2 variant imposes itself in a few days. For example, in South Africa, the BA.2 variant went from 27% of cases on February 4 to 86% of cases a week later!

BA.2: more contagious but apparently not more dangerous

Originally, the BA.2 variant seems to have a geographical preference. Indeed, it is particularly widespread in Southeast Asia while it spreads very little in America. There is no real explanation for this distribution at the moment. The genetic populations could be involved.

About the transmissibility of BA.2, it would be 30% more contagious than BA.1 according to a study. On the other hand, we do not yet have clinical data on its dangerousness. Nevertheless, the real-life data is rather reassuring. For example, in the UK, cases of the BA.2 variant are steadily increasing and have multiplied by 3 in one week while the cases of hospitalizations and deaths linked to the coronavirus continue to decrease.

Vaccines remain effective against BA.2

What about vaccines? Are they still effective against BA.2? According to a British study, currently available vaccines are just as effective against BA.2 as against BA.1. That is, they are able to prevent symptomatic disease within 6 months after the vaccination.

The BA.2 variant is spreading. But if it is less dangerous than BA.1 and vaccines are able to prevent symptomatic infections, there is no need to worry. If no one is able to guarantee that the pandemic will end with Omicron, it is absolutely certain that we are in a phase of calm. Let’s take advantage of it.