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Three omicron sub-variants have been detected, says the World Health Organization (WHO): BA.1, BA.2 and BA.3, out of which BA.2 is reportedly more infectious.
BA.2 is the current dominant variant worldwide. It has been detected in 57 countries so far.
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This sub-variant is rapidly spreading all over the world. Denmark, the UK, the US, Canada, India, Sweden, Singapore, and the Philippines have reported its presence after being first reported in South Africa 10 weeks ago.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, alerted to the danger still posed by the coronavirus and that no country can proclaim victory yet.
Maria Van Kerkhove, an American infectious disease epidemiologist, pointed out that the BA.2 has a slightly increased growth rate over BA.1. She also said people must continue to follow the COVID-19 protocols, even though a change in severity regarding this sub-variant has not yet been reported.
WHO tracking Omicron sub-variants as Covid transmission may lead to more deaths https://t.co/ds6r2QT6R3
— TUMMALA TUMMALA (@TUMMALATUMMALA) February 2, 2022
Kerkhove remarked that no matter the variant circulating, the attitude in the face of the pandemic must be as strict as till now.
The WHO informed that BA.2 now accounts for more than half of all omicron sequences gathered in some countries. In Denmark, it accounted for 45 percent of the country's COVID-19 cases last month.
Sujeet Kumar Singh, India's National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) director, said that the rapid spread of the sub-variant over the country is worrying.
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