'NO SURPRISE': The new omicron subvariant BA.2 has been detected in Illinois.
The subvariant was detected over the weekend from an individual who was tested for"BA.2 is a specific variant of omicron that carries a number of additional mutations that are thought to make it even more transmissible," said Judd Hultquist, associate director of Northwestern Medicine’s Center for Pathogen Genomics and Microbial Evolution.
However, Dr. Egon Ozer of Northwestern says the possibility of a new surge in infections cannot be ruled out.BA.2 has lots of mutations. About 20 of them in the spike protein that studs the outside of the virus are shared with the original omicron. But it also has additional genetic changes not seen in the initial version.
Scientists at the UK Health Security Agency found that vaccine effectiveness against symptomatic disease appears similar for BA.1 and BA.2. Looking at all vaccine brands combined, scientists found they were about 70% effective against symptomatic disease from BA.2 two or more weeks after a booster shot.
The two versions of omicron have enough in common that it’s possible that infection with the original mutant "will give you cross-protection against BA.2," said Dr. Daniel Kuritzkes, an infectious diseases expert at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
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