What we know about Omicron sub-variant BA.2

 The world is breathing easy now as less dangerous siblings of Coronavirus have displaced the deadly Delta variant. One of them, Omicron’s sub-variant BA.2, is the dominant strain in most countries now

First identified in November 2021, the BA.2 sublineage of the Omicron variant has now become dominant worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. The BA.2 represented nearly 86% of all sequenced cases between February 16 and March 17.

Initial data suggests that BA.2 appears inherently more transmissible than its highly contagious Omicron siblings BA.1 and BA.1.1 which currently remains the most common The BA.1 was previously the most common Omicron sub-variant reported. So far, there is insufficient evidence to determine whether BA.2 causes more severe illness than BA.1.

But, limited, early evidence suggests it may not be more severe than BA.1. Omicron itself has been consistently found to have lower severity when compared to Delta. Scientists say that, as with other Omicron variants, vaccines are less effective against BA.2 but booster shots can provide significant protection.