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. 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. Following the change in Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advice yesterday, a booster dose for everyone over 18 years is now recommended at a minimum of 3 months from your last primary course jab. 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. 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. It is testament to the diligence and scientific expertise of my colleagues at UKHSA, and the genomic sequencing capacity developed through the pandemic, that this new variant has been identified and analysed so quickly. Neutralisation studies are currently being undertaken at the University of Oxford. These changes will take effect as of 1 April 2022 and will be reflected in full in future technical briefings. As is routine for any new variants under investigation,UKHSAis carrying out laboratory and epidemiological investigations to better understand the characteristics of this variant. Studiesof households and contactshave found that there is a higher risk of transmission to contacts from an Omicron case, when compared to Delta. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. The five key Omicron symptoms. Since then, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has classified two subvariants, BA.1.1 and BA.2. The genome of VUI-21OCT-01 does not have many mutations compared to Delta. The individuals that have tested positive and their contacts are all isolating. 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. The variant technical briefing also includes updated analysis on Omicron BA.2, currently the dominant variant in the UK. 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. Technical Briefing 34 contains further analysis on symptom comparison on Omicron and Delta. Overall, the original Omicron lineage, BA.1, is dominant in the UK and the proportion of BA.2 cases is currently low. As always, the booster vaccine remains the best protection against infection. Two-thirds with Omicron say they had Covid before. It is vital that everyone over the age of 40 who is eligible for a booster jab comes forward as soon as possible to get increased protection against this new variant. Many people who have Omicron say it feels like a common cold, and here are the 8 early warning signs you need to look out for. The same happened with Omicron, which includes the lineages BA.1, BA.2, BA.3 and B.1.1.529. UKHSA designated variant B.1.1.529 as a variant under investigation (VUI) on Thursday 25 November. It appears to have a growth advantage compared to the version of Omicron, BA.1, that has swept the globe. Our continued genomic surveillance allows us to detect them and assess whether they are significant. 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. Work from home if you are able to, wear a mask indoors around other people, and ventilate indoor spaces well. UKHSAs latest National flu and COVID-19 surveillance report indicates that the increase in COVID-19 case rates and hospitalisations continues to show signs of slowing. Of those with Omicron, 9.5% have had COVID-19 before, which is likely to be a substantial underestimate of the proportion of reinfections, as many prior infections will have been asymptomatic and not picked up by the analysis. What are the symptoms of BA.2? A growth rate potentially compatible with the eventual replacement of the current dominant variant. A further 3 cases have been identified in Scotland, bringing the total to 13. UKHSA scientists are urging anyone who has not had all the vaccines they are eligible for to make sure that they get them as soon as possible. Evidence continues to show that Omicron is transmitting more rapidly than the dominant Delta variant. Data for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is not included in the UKHSA Technical Briefing. Where individuals are identified as being a possible or probable case of Omicron, their close contacts will be contacted and advised they are required to isolate for 10 days, regardless of whether they have been vaccinated or received a negative COVID-19 test result. There are also hybrid strains, such as XE, which is a combination of BA.1 and BA.2 By Alex Finnis Top of the list with a prevalence of 80. Anyone who is contacted because of a link to a probable or possible Omicron case will be asked to take a PCR test, even if they have received a positive COVID-19PCRtestwithin the last 90 days. Currently, no experimental data has been reported about BA.2 and BA.3. Due to the early nature of the findings, all estimates are subject to significant uncertainty and are subject to change. New sub-lineages within Delta continue to be identified. It contains epidemiological data and updated analysis of COVID-19 variants currently circulating in the UK. While BA.2 appears to be more transmissible than previous variants, there is no data yet to suggest that it is any more severe. So far there is not enough evidence to draw conclusions about transmissibility, severity or vaccine effectiveness. Studies of contacts show that Omicron is transmitting more effectively than Delta. 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. The v The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has identified 8 further cases of COVID-19 with mutations consistent with B.1.1.529 in England, in addition to the previous 5 confirmed cases of the SARS-CoV-2 variant known as B.1.1.529. . We now know that BA.2 has an increased growth rate which can be seen in all regions in England. This sub-lineage, which was designated by Pangolin on 6 December 2021, does not have the spike gene deletion at 69-70 that causes S-gene target failure (SGTF), which has previously been used as a proxy to detect cases of Omicron. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has released variant technical briefing 41. In England, the infection rate increased in those aged 25 years to 49 years and those aged 70 years and over in the week ending 21 February 2023. Headache. XBB (V-22OCT-02) is a recombinant lineage derived from 2 previous Omicron sublineages. Professor Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Advisor, UKHSA said: Recombinant variants are not an unusual occurrence, particularly when there are several variants in circulation, and several have been identified over the course of the pandemic to date. Those are pretty similar to what people experience with a cold or other seasonal viruses. Neither have currently been designated as variants of concern. Neither have been designated as variants of concern by UKHSA. UKHSA is monitoring this closely. 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. 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. This particular recombinant, XE, has shown a variable growth rate and we cannot yet confirm whether it has a true growth advantage. 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. The Omicron BA.2 subvariant is fast becoming the dominant strain of COVID-19, with symptoms similar to previous strains of the virus. ; The incubation time (time to onset of symptoms) is a bit shorter: 3 days. Vaccination is critical to help us bolster our defences against this new variant please get your first, second, third or booster jab without delay. An important question is whether BA.2 or BA.3 will become a new dominating "variant of concern". It showed that the AstraZeneca and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines provided much lower levels of protection against symptomatic infection compared to the protection that they provide against Delta. The risk of catching or passing on COVID-19 is greatest when someone who is infected is physically close to, or sharing an enclosed or poorly ventilated space with, other people. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is reminding people to ensure their COVID-19 vaccinations are up to date and to continue following COVID-safe behaviours, as latest technical data indicates BA.4 and BA.5 have become dominant in the UK and are driving the recent increase in infections. Both have links to travel to Southern Africa. As the coronavirus continues to evolve, a new highly contagious Omicron variant is appearing in India and other nations, including the United States, experts say.. BA.2 Symptoms Not That Different From Omicron, Delta. Latest updates on SARS-CoV-2 variants detected in the UK. Where variant information was available, the majority of intensive care unit (ICU) admissions from 24 November 2021 to 19 January 2022 had Delta infections. 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. Currently, the Omicron variant has BA.1, BA.2, BA.3, and B.1.1.529 sub-variants, of which the BA.1 was dominant a few months before, and scientists have recently warned about the BA.2 sub-variant . If you have any symptoms, take a test. The early observations for 2 doses of AstraZeneca are particularly likely to be unreliable as they are based on small numbers and are likely to reflect an older population and a population with more co-morbidities than those given the Pfizer vaccine. 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. Genome sequencing among the states is not always fair. pic.twitter.com/ESQupxUet4. BA.2 omicron symptoms According to the CDC, the symptoms of Covid-19, including BA.2, are: Fever or chills Cough Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing Fatigue Muscle or body. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published the latest Variant Technical Briefing. Read about our approach to external linking. That's because there could be cross-immunity - an infection with BA.1 could offer some protection against BA.2. The latest UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) COVID-19 variant technical briefing, published today, includes updated epidemiological analysis which indicates that Omicron BA.5 has, as expected, become the dominant SARS-CoV-2 variant in the UK. There is currently insufficient evidence to draw conclusions about growth advantage or other properties of this variant. Vaccine efficacy analysis continues to show lower effectiveness for symptomatic Omicron disease. 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. Based on the CDC's genomic surveillance, the BA.2 or stealth Omicron subvariant is responsible for most new SARS-CoV-2 infections in the U.S. BA.2 is a subvariant of the original SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant (B.1.1.529), along with BA.1.1 and BA.3. Previous variants of concern which no longer meet the criteria will be redesignated. In India, BA.2 is rapidly replacing the Delta and Omicron BA.1 variants of Covid, BA.2 was first detected in the Philippines, About half of new cases in Denmark are caused by BA.2, AOC under investigation for Met Gala dress, Mother who killed her five children euthanised, Alex Murdaugh jailed for life for double murder, The children left behind in Cuba's exodus, Zoom boss Greg Tomb fired without cause, US sues Exxon over nooses found at Louisiana plant. 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. Omicron continues to grow faster than Delta, with an increased risk of transmission, particularly in contacts outside of the household. Neither BQ.1 nor XBB have been designated as variants of concern and UKHSA is monitoring the situation closely, as always. One individual diagnosed in hospital has sadly died. It was designated a variant of concern (VOC) on Saturday 27 November. Hospital admissions are increasing, and we cannot risk the NHS being overwhelmed. Please take up this offer as soon as you are eligible to protect yourself, your families and your communities. While there is a suggestion that this wanes slightly after 15 weeks, protection in this age group remains high at over 85%. Added breakdown of cases by local authority to latest update. The population rate of people becoming infected with Omicron after having previously contracted COVID-19 has increased sharply. The proportion of test results displaying SGTF has been very low in recent months but an increase has been observed in the past week. News stories, speeches, letters and notices, Reports, analysis and official statistics, Data, Freedom of Information releases and corporate reports. Thats why its critical that anyone with COVID-19 symptoms isolates and gets a PCR test immediately. To help us improve GOV.UK, wed like to know more about your visit today. As of 18 July 2022, there were 24 cases of BA.2.75 in the UK. The most common omicron-related symptoms are: Cough. Once again, we urge everyone who is able to get a booster jab to come forward and do so. Thats why its so important that everybody, everywhere, takes simple steps to protect themselves from infection. Vaccination remains our best defence against future COVID-19 waves, so it is still as important as ever that people come take up all the doses for which they are eligible as soon as possible. Early data shows that young children who are hospitalised experience mild illness and are discharged after short stays in hospital. More investigation is required to fully determine the extent of these mutations impact. It is already the dominant variant in several states and likely drove the country's recent third wave of infections. 2 or Stealth Omicron causes. UKHSAis carrying out targeted testing at locations where the positive cases were likely to be infectious. Face coverings in crowded indoor spaces and hand washing will help to reduce transmission of infection and are especially important if you have any respiratory symptoms. And now, dizziness and fatigue are beginning to emerge as potential symptoms of the new sub-strain of Omicron, along with the original Covid symptoms. Continue to exercise caution. Those aged 18 to 39 should wait to be called. 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. Until the week beginning 23 November 2021, the weekly count of cases with SGTF was routinely less than 150, making up less than 0.1% of all cases. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published the latest variant technical briefing. Updated analysisshows theadditional incremental benefit from each vaccine exposureincluding for boosters, even in those who have had prior infection. We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services. You have rejected additional cookies. Dr Meera Chand, UKHSA Director of Clinical an Emerging Infection, said: We continue to monitor the emergence of new variants and give them variant designations if they are sufficiently distinct to warrant separate epidemiological and laboratory assessment. Delta and Omicron Cases are being eclipsed by BA2 Variant rapidly. However, the preliminary data showed effectiveness against the new variant appears to increase considerably in the early period after a booster dose, providing around 70% to 75% protection against symptomatic infection. The technical briefing also includes early analysis of vaccine effectiveness against the Omicron variant compared to Delta. However, it should serve as objective evidence that this pandemic is not over. Fatigue. If the growth rate and doubling time continue at the rate we have seen in the last 2 weeks, we expect to see at least 50% of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases to be caused by Omicron variant in the next 2 to 4 weeks. Overall, data shows significant reductions in neutralisation against several of the newly emergent variants (BA.2.75.2, BA.2.3.20 and BJ.1), compared to BA.2, BA.4 and the dominant BA.5. Increased case detection through focused contact tracing has led to more cases of the Omicron variant being identified and confirmed, as we have seen in other countries globally. Wed like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services. 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. They say its possible that the virus has now changed its pattern and is affecting the stomach. This is to be expected and UKHSA is monitoring the situation closely. India is another country where BA.2 is rapidly replacing the Delta and Omicron BA.1 variant, according to molecular biologist Bijaya Dhakal. A detrimental change in biological properties (changes in transmissibility, severity or immune evasion) compared to the current dominant variant. It is projected that if current trends continue unchanged, the UK will exceed one million infections a day by the end of this month. But the latest data suggests this extra protection starts to wane more rapidly, being about 15 to 25% lower from 10 weeks after the booster dose. The B.1.1.529variant includes a large number of spike protein mutations as well as mutations in other parts of the viral genome. There is evidence that protection against symptomatic disease wanes after the second dose of vaccine, and then improves after the booster. ROCHESTER, Minn. The World Health Organization designated COVID-19 variant B.1.1.529, named omicron, a "variant of concern" on Nov. 26, 2021, and the first confirmed case in the U.S. was on Dec. 1, 2021. This includes analysing live samples of the new variant in our laboratories to investigate properties such as response to current vaccines. Congestion. Everybody who is contacted or has symptoms should take aPCRtest as soon as possible, even if they have received a positive COVID-19PCRtest within the last 90 days. There are small numbers of cases in the UK and this designation is intended to allow investigation into the specific properties of this variant. The public health advice is the same for all current variants. BA.2 is believed to be far more contagious than the earlier Omicron strain, and was blamed for a fresh surge in Denmark. 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. There have been recent reports of people who experience symptoms like those of viral meningitis, an inflammation of the brain and spinal cord membranes. People infected with Omicron are also less likely to experience fever or loss of taste and smell. The team at ZOE, a study that tracks symptoms . These are potentially biologically significant mutations which may change the behaviour of the virus with regards to immune escape, transmissibility or susceptibility to treatments, but this has not been proven. UKHSAs latest analysis suggests that Omicron BA.5 is growing 35.1% faster than Omicron BA.2, while Omicron BA.4 is growing approximately 19.1% faster. Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Adviser at UKHSA, said: The latest set of analysis is in keeping with the encouraging signs we have already seen. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) can confirm that 10 people have been hospitalised with the Omicron variant in England; the individuals were diagnosed on or before admission. Thanks to the expertise of scientists at UKHSA and partner organisations, were able to respond quickly to new variations of the virus. 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. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has announced the emerging SARS-CoV-2 variant known as B.1.1.529 as a variant under investigation (VUI). The Omicron variant sub-lineage known as BA.2 has been designated a variant under investigation ( VUI-22JAN-01) by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). This paper can be found as a pre-print, and the data is referred to in the latest vaccine surveillance report. For the first time, this data includes analysis on vaccine effectiveness 15+ weeks after the booster dose. The total number of confirmed cases in England is now 5. Analysis by the UKHSA suggests it could be substantial, although there is a risk of over-estimating growth advantage in the early stages. If you have symptoms take a PCR test and isolate at home until you receive a negative result. Scratchy throat. UKHSAreleases weekly updates on the number of confirmed new cases of variants of concern and variants under investigation identified in the UK. Apart from dizziness and fatigue, some other signs of BA.2 Omicron Variants include: Fever and body aches Loss of taste Nausea or Vomiting Abdominal pain Fever Extreme fatigue Coughing Sore throat Muscular fatigue Elevated heart rate Breathless in severe cases readmore End of Story One study has suggested that it may be difficult to identify this variant . Case rates remain high throughout the UK and we must remain vigilant and take up vaccinations. XD has not been identified in the UK to date, though 49 cases have been reported to global databases, the majority of these are in France. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published a new variant technical briefing containing an updated Omicron risk assessment, alongside analysis on vaccine efficacy, sub-lineages and symptoms. UKHSA are continuing to monitor data on the BA.2 sub-lineage closely. The five most common symptoms of Omicron are: runny nose;. BA.3 shares most of its mutations with BA.1 and BA.2 except for one. UKHSA is carrying out targeted testing at locations where the positive cases were likely to be infectious. There are indications of a small rise in children admitted to hospital, but these early signals need further investigations before we can draw any conclusions about whether Omicron causes more severe illness in children. UKHSAis acting to get scientific information available as quickly as possible in order to inform the right balance of interventions to prevent transmission and protect lives. Taste Lost is one of the Omicron BA2 Symptoms. Dr Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Advisor for UKHSA, said: Ongoing variant analysis is an important part of our pandemic response. The Omicron variant of Covid-19 includes the lineages BA.1, BA.2, BA.3 and B.1.1.529. Further studies are underway in the UK and abroad. The individual is no longer in the UK, but UKHSA is carrying out targeted testing at locations where the positive case visited when they were likely to have been infectious. For some more vulnerable a third dose is available. There will be a coprimary endpoint : Neutralizing antibody titers against the SARS-CoV-2 variant of most prominent public health interest according to pandemic evolution (among D614G, B.1.351, Omicron sub-variants BA.4-5, BQ1.1 and XBB or another recent variant) and against one of the variant targeted by the vaccines. The study also showed evidence to suggest that the BA.2 sub-variant is better able to evade vaccines. BA.2 attacking abdomen instead of lungs. It is also absolutely critical that we all do what we can to reduce transmission in the community so that we have time to administer as many booster doses as possible. The areas with the largest number of confirmed cases are London (146) and the South East (97). 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. UKHSAs most recent variant technical briefing includes examination of a number of recombinant variants which have been identified in the UK, as well as updated epidemiological and genomic analysis of Omicron BA.2. UKHSA is acting to get scientific information available as quickly as possible in order to inform the right balance of interventions to prevent transmission and protect lives. In some places, growth in recorded cases of the sub-variant has been sharp. There is currently no data on the severity of BA.2. We will continue to closely analyse all available biological, epidemiological and genomic evidence for any SARS-CoV-2 variant in the UK or internationally. None of these cases are known to have been hospitalised or died. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published a new variant technical briefing containing updated analysis on Omicron hospitalisation risk and vaccine efficacy against symptomatic disease and hospitalisation. A preliminary assessment did not find evidence of a difference in vaccine effectiveness against symptomatic disease for BA.2 compared to BA.1. Work is underway to identify any links to travel to Southern Africa. The full document and underlying data is available on GOV.UK. In the last week, VUI-21OCT-01 accounted for approximately 6% of all Delta cases. BA.2.75.2 as a new variant but singled it out as an . These include a high temperature, a new. As part of UKHSAs routine genomic surveillance, approximately 15 to 20% of all positive PCR tests are also sent for sequencing.