|
 Vaccines also continue to provide similar protection against the
different forms of Omicron, Dr. Boris Pavlin of the WHO's COVID-19
Response Team told an online briefing.
The comments come as the BA.2 subvariant begins to replace Omicron's
more common "original" BA.1 subvariant in countries such as Denmark.
Based on data from Denmark, the first country where BA.2 overtook
BA.1, there appears to be no difference in disease severity,
although BA.2 has the potential to replace BA.1 globally, Pavlin
added.
"Looking at other countries where BA.2 is now overtaking, we're not
seeing any higher bumps in hospitalization than expected," he said.
[to top of second column] |
BA.2 is more transmissible than
the more common BA.1 and more able to infect
vaccinated people, according to a Danish study
which analysed coronavirus infections in more
than 8,500 Danish households between December
and January.
The subvariant is already becoming dominant in
the Philippines, Nepal, Qatar, India and
Denmark, Pavlin said.
He added: "Vaccination is profoundly protective
against severe disease, including for Omicron.
BA.2 is rapidly replacing BA.1. Its impact is
unlikely to be substantial, although more data
are needed.”
(Reporting by Manojna Maddipatla in Bengaluru
and Jennifer Rigby in London; Editing by Mark
Heinrich)
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