-Avier Wanjou-Brass-

Cousins!

Move Over! There is a new Omicron Subvariant in town, and it is being declared the dominant version of Omicron in the world!

The World Health Organization (W.H.O.) reports the highly contagious Omicron Subvariant, BA.2, is behind the surge of cases in Europe.

According to the New York Times, “Globally, BA.2 made up about 86 percent of cases reported to the W.H.O. between Feb. 16 and March 17, the agency said in a report on Tuesday. The previously dominant subvariants, BA.1 and BA.1.1, together represented about 13 percent of the cases.”

Making up 34 percent of new cases, BA.2, is dominant in America and increasingly in other countries like Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.

Now BA.2 is more transmissible than BA.1, but it does not cause more severe illness, it’s rapid growth is thanks to its unique mutations. Since the virus has become more evolved, it does not mean vaccines are not effective. 

In an interview on the agency’s website, Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, the W.H.O.’s Covid-19 technical lead, says, “Our vaccines remain incredibly effective at preventing severe disease and death, including against both of the sublineages of BA.1 and BA.2.’

Despite this new report, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, says U.S. health officials expect numbers to increase. But does not anticipate a crucial surge caused by BA.2.

When would this be all over? It seems like we can not wake up from this bad dream!