Omicron sub-variant BA.2 will quietly replace it: Australian scientists

The subvariant BA.2 is one of at least three sub-lineages of Omicron. The virus is found in about 2 percent of local samples and has started to gain a serious foothold in England, India and Denmark.

Sydney: The BA.2 sub variant of Omicron may not increase infection numbers as the original strain or Delta, instead quietly replace Omicron, Australian scientists have said. According to them, while BA.2, is more transmissible than the original strain there is no evidence that its more vaccine-evasive, The Sydney Morning Herald reported. The subvariant BA.2 is one of at least three sub-lineages of Omicron.

The virus is found in about 2 percent of local samples and has started to gain a serious foothold in England, India and Denmark, where it has out-competed Omicron and now makes up most viruses sampled.

"That does seem to suggest there is an intrinsic transmissibility advantage," Dr Adam Wheatley, who heads a research team studying the immune response to Covid-19 at the University of Melbourne was quoted as saying.