As of right now, health experts and researchers dont know much about the new subvariant.
What Do We Know About BA.2 Right Now?
BA.2 is currently present in many countries.
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Were also seeing presence at high levels in certain locations including several countries in Asia.
Were just starting to detect it, the first sequences are just coming in.
They are low numbers, but its here, Luban said.
Why Is BA.2 Considered a Subvariant?
BA.2 is a descendant of the original Omicron variant.
Since BA.2 shares a common lineage to BA.1, it is currently considered a subvariant, according to Luban.
We may have a new Greek letter for it.
How Different Is BA.2 From the Original Omicron Variant?
Kuritzkes stated BA.2 shares many but not all mutations that are seen in Omicron.
Its like when Omicron first hit.
What This Means For You
Researchers are still learning more about the new subvariant, BA.2.
How Transmissible Is It?
Based on recentdatafrom Denmark, the subvariant has spread rapidly.
Health officials say more information is needed at this time before determining the transmissibility of BA.2.
However, the higher transmissibility is being monitored as we still have too little information at this time."
Its also still unclear if the new version spreads faster than BA.1 or if it causes more severe symptoms.
While researchers are still learning more about the new subvariant, experts dont want people to panic.
Viruses mutate constantly, mostly in harmless ways, added Banerjee.
Other experts stress that there is no evidence to suggest that BA.2 is more harmful than Omicron.
Anytime something changes, its a reason for concern until we know more about it, Luban said.
Its safe to assume, for now, that vaccination will likely offer protection against the subvariant.
For the most recent updates on COVID-19, visit ourcoronavirus news page.
Correction - January 31, 2022: A previous version of this article misquoted Sri Banerjee.
It has been updated to reflect a correction in BA.2s impact on hospitalizations in Denmark.
World Health Organization.Tracking SARS-CoV-2 variants.
