Thursday, Dec 7, 2023
English News
  • Hyderabad
  • Telangana
  • AP News
  • India
  • World
  • Entertainment
  • Science and Tech
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rewind
  • ...
    • NRI
    • View Point
    • cartoon
    • Columns
    • Education Today
    • Reviews
    • Property
    • Videos
    • Lifestyle
E-Paper
  • NRI
  • View Point
  • cartoon
  • Columns
  • Reviews
  • Education Today
  • Property
  • Videos
  • Lifestyle
Home | Health | New Omicron Variant Ba 2 2 On The Watch

New Omicron variant BA 2.2 on the watch

Hyderabad: There are worrying signs on the horizon, as countries in Europe and Asia are now grappling with the rise of a new sub-lineage of BA 2 Omicron variant of the coronavirus, which has been unofficially christened as BA 2.2. After enduring the Omicron driven Covid wave in the months of December and January, largely […]

By M. Sai Gopal
Published Date - 11:07 PM, Fri - 11 March 22
New Omicron variant BA 2.2 on the watch
Representational Image
whatsapp facebook twitter telegram

Hyderabad: There are worrying signs on the horizon, as countries in Europe and Asia are now grappling with the rise of a new sub-lineage of BA 2 Omicron variant of the coronavirus, which has been unofficially christened as BA 2.2.

After enduring the Omicron driven Covid wave in the months of December and January, largely triggered by BA 1, which was the first Omicron variant, many countries including Hong Kong, Singapore, United Kingdom, and a few others in Europe including Scotland and Germany, are now experiencing a fresh surge of Covid cases, largely due to the new sub-lineage BA 2.2 and even BA 2 in some pockets.


Based on the interpretations of public health researchers and experts involved in tracking new Covid variants worldwide, so far the BA 2.2 has displayed growth advantage over all other variants of the coronavirus. The new sub-lineage of BA2 appears to have started to dominate in England, where cases and hospitalisations have started to rise. The BA 2.2 is literally causing mayhem in Hong Kong where in the past few days public health officials have reported a major surge in Covid infections and deaths.

The BA 2.2 variant has also reached India, with Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG), which conducts genome sequencing of the coronavirus, reporting three cases in Maharashtra, Puducherry and Ladakh.

It is a known fact that the first variant of Omicron (BA1) was the dominant strain in United States and European countries while in India, the second variant BA 2 was dominant. In fact there are clear indications that after the initial surge of BA1, it has been now replaced by BA 2 variant in India. Based on genome sequencing data of INSACOG and GSAID, which is the global initiative to track new variants of influenza variants, as on March 6 there were nearly 19, 000 BA 2 cases in India and over 500 in Telangana, a clear sign that BA 2 has replaced BA 1.

Experts tracking BA 2.2 cases in Hong Kong have indicated that the surge is among the elderly population who were not vaccinated properly, when compared to other countries. The rise of the new sub-lineage BA 2.2 in UK is because the BA1 might not have provided the required strong immunity to the local population, experts believe.

Public health officials and researchers including developers of SUTRA mathematical model of forecasting pandemics, developed by researchers from IIT-Kanpur and IIT-Hyderabad, however, have so far maintained that due to successive Covid waves, the natural immunity among Indians is close to 95 per cent, which should be enough to dilute the impact of new sub-lineages of Omicron.


Now you can get handpicked stories from Telangana Today on Telegram everyday. Click the link to subscribe.

Click to follow Telangana Today Facebook page and Twitter .


  • Follow Us :
  • Tags
  • Coronavirus
  • COVID
  • Europe
  • Omicron

Related News

  • Opinion: How Lovely is Fair?

    Opinion: How Lovely is Fair?

  • Editorial: Pitching for practical approach

    Editorial: Pitching for practical approach

  • India records 22 new Covid cases on Tuesday

    India records 22 new Covid cases on Tuesday

  • Covid caused spike in premature births, maternal vax lowered risk: Study

    Covid caused spike in premature births, maternal vax lowered risk: Study

  • Worried about Covid-related loss of taste & smell? It improves in 3 yrs

    Worried about Covid-related loss of taste & smell? It improves in 3 yrs

  • Rewind: Banks in new era

    Rewind: Banks in new era

Latest News

  • BJP MP calls live-in relationships ‘dangerous disease’, urges govt to make laws against it

    30 seconds ago
  • Telangana poll results trigger war of words in AP politics

    16 mins ago
  • ‘Purr-fectly’ Pampered: Hyderabad’s Petfolk launches home grooming services

    33 mins ago
  • Traffic gridlock grips Hyderabad during CM Revanth Reddy’s oath ceremony

    38 mins ago
  • LIC of India secures semi-naming rights for Peddamma Gudi Metro Station

    1 hour ago
  • Apollo Clinical Research Conclave witnesses coming together of over 27 stakeholders

    1 hour ago
  • Bellampalli municipal chairperson joins the Congress

    1 hour ago
  • Hyderabad witnesses 8% yearly surge in office rental values: ANAROCK

    2 hours ago

company

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Contact Us

business

  • Subscribe

telangana today

  • Telangana
  • Hyderabad
  • Latest News
  • Entertainment
  • World
  • Andhra Pradesh
  • Science & Tech
  • Sport

follow us

© Copyrights 2022 TELANGANA PUBLICATIONS PVT. LTD. All rights reserved. Powered by Veegam