A new variant of coronavirus is moving through a number of countries around the world. BA.2 has been observed circulating in the U.S. as of February 5.
According to data from Walgreens, which conducts pharmaceutical testing nationwide, BA.2 is currently the dominant variant and accounts for 59% of all positive COVID cases in the U.S. as of March 25.
The data collected in the Walgreens COVID-19 Index is generated through the combination of Walgreens’ nationally representative PCR testing services with the associated PCR and next-generation sequencing (NGS) laboratory test results generated by Aegis Sciences.
A few days earlier, a branch of Denmark’s health ministry, Serum Institute, revealed that BA.2 currently accounts for all the country’s COVID-19 cases. The institute said that the BA.2 appears to be more severe than the previous variants and is spreading as fast as Omicron.
Even though B.A.2 cases are rising in the U.S., public health officials are not expecting a dramatic surge in these new cases. Officials say that the population’s high rate of vaccinations and the outbreak due to the Omicron wave in the winter will prevent a surge.
“The bottom line is we’ll likely see an uptick in cases, as we’ve seen in the European countries, particularly the U.K.,” said White House Chief Medical Advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci. “Hopefully, we won’t see a surge; I don’t think we will.”
According to the UK Health Security Agency, BA.2 now represents around 44% of all positive COVID cases in London as of March 10. The number of people testing positive for COVID has risen 16% over the past week. The number of patients admitted to hospitals with the virus is also up 20%.
The Omicron variant had been circulating since November last year, and even though it is now understood that Omicron generally causes less severe symptoms than the Delta variant, Omicron’s global outbreak has proved its extreme contagiousness.
