Omicron BA.2 in the USA, Fully Vaccinated Infection Symptoms.
February 21, 2022. The WHO reported in its weekly Covid-19 epidemiology update on February 15 that the overall number of new Covid-19 cases had dropped by 19% compared to the previous week.
While the Delta variation is diminishing, the prevalence of the BA.2 lineage among sequenced Omicron cases reported to GISAID has risen to 21.09% globally.
It has been found in 74 countries and 47 US States.
According to CDC‘s February 12, 2022 ending week Report,
Omicron’s All 3 variants of concern (US VOC) Viruses are the reason for all the Covid-19 infections in the USA.
What is a Variant of Concern (VOC)?
A variant with evidence of increased transmissibility, more severe disease (for example, increased hospitalizations or deaths).
Considerable reduction in neutralization by antibodies created during previous infection or vaccination, decreased effectiveness of treatments or vaccines, or diagnostic detection failures.
Omicron Variant BA.1.1 – 73.2%
Omicron Variant B.1.1.529 – 22.9%
Omicron Variant BA.2 – 3.9%
All B lineages are categorized as Variant of Concern.
Every day in the United States, Omicron infects about 100,000 people and kills over 2,000.
So, while BA.2 does not appear to make patients sicker than the original omicron, simply slowing the drop in new instances would result in more severe illness and death.
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Why do Experts worry about Omicron BA.2 in the USA?
According to AMA, experts have warned that BA.2 could extend the current wave of COVID-19 infections in the U.S.
The virus, BA.2, is a strain of the extremely contagious omicron type that looks to spread even more quickly – around 30% faster, Which has other names like “son of omicron” and “Stealth Variant”.
New lab research in Japan discovered that BA.2 has a lot of characteristics that could allow it to cause severe COVID-19 symptoms on the same level as prior strains.
New research suggests that the BA.2 subvariant of the omicron coronavirus variant may be more severe than prior variants.
Researchers found severe lung infection from BA.2 variant compared with BA.1.
BA.2 was shown to be resistant to antibodies in people infected with previous forms of SARS-CoV-2. As well as ‘almost completely resistant’ to several monoclonal antibody therapies used to treat this disease.
“It looks like we might be looking at a new Greek letter here,” Deborah Fuller, a virologist at the University of Washington School of Medicine who examined the study but did not participate in it.
“A lot of us were assuming that it was going to quickly take off in the United States just like it was doing in Europe and become the new dominant variant,” Nathan Grubaugh, an associate professor of epidemiology at Yale School of Public Health, agreed.
BA.2 quickly surpassed the initial omicron in South Africa and other nations, causing a second omicron spike in Denmark, so, the researchers in the USA have been worrying that the same thing may happen in the United States.
What did Experts Say about Omicron BA.2 Variant in the USA?
When talking about BA.2’s 3.9% Affect in the USA, The Rockefeller Foundation’s managing director of pathogen surveillance, Samuel Scarpino says, “If it doubles again to 8%, that means we’re into the exponential growth phase and we may be staring at another wave of COVID-19 coming in the U.S.,”
“And that’s of course the one we’re really worried about. We’re all on the edge of our seats,” he added.
“There is this lurking threat of BA.2. And we need to make sure this isn’t going to be a problem before we roll back all the mandates before we tell everybody that it’s safe,” Scarpino added further.
Although immunization and prior infection tend to protect against BA.2, this variant of the virus appears to be slightly better at evading the immune system than the original omicron. This raises the prospect of an upsurge in new cases.
Dr. Jeremy Luban, a virologist at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Says “There are going to be plenty of people getting sick and ending up on respirators and dying because of BA.2,” is particularly concerned about the millions of people who are still unvaccinated.
While Luban agrees that the most likely scenario is that BA.2 will simply extend the omicron wave, he believes it’s impossible to rule out another surge.
Dr.Luban Added, “It may be that the virus has to get to somewhere like 5-7%, and then all of a sudden once it has a foothold like that, it will take off,”
Dr. Daniel Rhoads, the Cleveland Clinic’s section chief of microbiology, says, “It might be, from a human’s perspective, a worse virus than BA.1 and might be able to transmit better and cause worse disease,”.
New monoclonal antibody study & Omicron Variants
Recent research done with sotrovimab monoclonal antibody says that it is less effective against BA.2 Variants.
The study concluded that “This new finding shows that no presently approved or authorized monoclonal antibody therapy could adequately cover all sublineages of the Omicron variant”.
The US Food and Drug Administration approved Eli Lilly and Company’s COVID-19 antibody-drug Bebtelovimab for anyone aged 12 and up who is at risk of serious illness, adding a tool that has been demonstrated to work against the highly contagious Omicron strain. So let’s hope for the best.
I am Getting infected by Variants, Do the vaccines have any effect?
Millions of people asked this question, but the answer will be the same.
Yes, According to preliminary research, vaccine efficacy against symptomatic sickness is the same between BA.1 and BA.2. According to initial findings from a Danish study, the vaccine is at least equally efficient in preventing BA.2 infection and may be more effective in preventing transmission of BA.2 than the currently widespread BA.1.
The efficacy of treatment options is also the same as it is for the existing variants.
Omicron's Infection Symptoms on Fully Vaccinated
CDC says, Symptoms of Omicron same as Covid-19 symptoms.
Although the vaccine protects against the virus’s more serious risks, you can still contract Covid even if you have both jabs and a booster shot.
Scientists in Norway conducted interview research with 111 out of 117 participants from an Omicron outbreak party on November 26, 2021.
There were 66 confirmed instances of Covid-19 and 15 potential cases among those interviewed.
89% of the 111 participants had received two doses of an mRNA vaccine, and none had gotten a booster shot.
According to the data reported in the infectious disease and epidemiology journal Eurosurveillance, the group of completely vaccinated party guests experienced eight important symptoms.
Symptoms of Fully Vaccinated:
- Cough
- Runny nose
- Fatigue
- Sore throat
- Headache
- Muscle pain
- Fever and
- Sneezing.
In vaccinated people who have contracted the Omicron variant, public health authorities add nausea to the list of symptoms.
Because the symptoms are mild, it is difficult for people to identify the virus from a common cold.
Experts also believe that two different symptoms could indicate a positive test is on the way, fatigue and dizziness/fainting.
Fatigue can cause body pain by creating tight or weak muscles, headaches, fuzzy vision, and loss of appetite, in addition to simply feeling tired.
According to a Web MD poll that questioned users how frequently they experienced fatigue from December 23 to January 4, 40% of women reported weariness as a result of Covid, compared to one-third of males.
The second indicator that you may have Omicron is dizziness/fainting. According to a new German investigation, there is a correlation between fainting spells and Omicron.
After doctors in Berlin discovered that Covid was causing recurring fainting spells, they could discern a “clear connection” between the infection and the fainting spells.
Should we be worried about the Omicron BA.2 variant?
No, Worrying will not protect us from anything. But the Action will do the protection. So, What are the actions?
- Get yourself fully vaccinated, Dont’ miss your Booster shots.
- Wear high protective masks
- Maintain Social distancing
- Avoid Crowd
- Wash your hands with soap water often or Use sanitizer.
- Take covid tests because symptoms are milder now.
