The BA.2 subvariant of the Omicron coronavirus variant, which has quickly taken over in Denmark, is more transmissible than the more common BA.1 and more able to infect vaccinated people, a Danish study has found. Worldwide, the "original" BA.1 subvariant accounts for more than 98% of Omicron cases, but its close cousin BA.2 has quickly become the dominant strain in Denmark, dethroning BA.1 in the second week of January. "If you have been exposed to Omicron BA.2 in your household, you have 39% probability of being infected within seven days. The study also showed that BA.2 was relatively better than BA.1 at infecting vaccinated and booster-vaccinated people, indicating greater "immune evasive properties" of the subvariant. Preliminary analysis by SSI has shown that there is no difference in the risk of hospitalization for BA.2 compared to BA.1.

Source: Dhaka Tribune February 01, 2022 04:06 UTC