New Covid variant spreading like wildfire across UK and Scandinavia: BA.2 'stealth' mutation

[Celerity]

now half of all new coronavirus cases in Denmark and rapidly pushing Omicron aside

https://www.cityam.com/new-covid-variant-is-spreading-like-wildfire-in-scandinavia-ba-2-stealth-mutation-now-half-of-all-coronavirus-cases-in-denmark-and-rapidly-pushing-omicron-aside/



Various media across Scandinavia and the UK are reporting the emergence of a new Covid variant that is so infectious and spreading so fast that nearly half of all cases in Denmark are now the new mutation, named BA.2, with more than 400 confirmed infections across the UK. The new mutation has reportedly also popped up in Norway, Sweden, Singapore and India.

Reuters reports that UK health authorities are investigating 426 confirmed cases of BA.2 in Britain, while officials in Denmark said that just over 45 per cent of all new infections in the country are now the new variant. WHO representatives have rushed to Copenhagen to investigate BA.2, nicknamed ‘stealth Omicron’ in Danish media as the mutation seems to be pushing the Omicron variant aside fairly quickly. Professionals point out that there is still much we do not know about BA.2 as it has only been arounds for a very short time. So what do we know so far?

BA.2 outpacing Omicron

The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies Omicron as B.1, On December 23, the WHO reported that over 99 per cent of the cases it sequenced were BA.1. However, the rise of BA.2 in Denmark and elsewhere suggests that BA.2 may outcompete BA.1. The country’s new Covid infections have shot to record highs in recent weeks. Denmark recorded over 30,000 new cases per day this week, 10 times more cases than during peaks in previous waves.



BA.2 infection after Omicron seen in Norway

Anders Fomsgaard, who is chief physician and virus researcher at the Statens Serum Institut (SSI), told Danish media that a few cases have been seen in Norway where people who have been infected with Omicron have subsequently been infected with BA.2. He reportedly called it “remarkable” that Omicron and BA.2 have significant differences when it comes to immunity and infection.



snip

[JohnSJ]

1. But, but, but, but, we are being told the pandemic is over

[Kablooie]

9. Yeah. Trump said it was over almost 2 years ago.

[ShazzieB]

10. He promised! Like a miracle it was going to disappear!

[DanieRains]

14. By Easter

[vercetti2021]

2. People will never understand how viruses work

Viruses will and will always mutate. It will always change its DNA to be more infectious, lethal, etc. You name it. Play Plague Inc. You can change your deadly virus to kill or transmit easier.

[GaYellowDawg]

12. I think you lack a little understanding yourself.

Viruses do not “change their DNA to be more infectious, etc.” There is no intent on the part of the virus. Viruses mutate and unfortunately some of those mutations are more infectious than others. Additionally, natural selection favors viruses which are less lethal, not more lethal. A pathogen that kills its host has less opportunity to spread. Zoonotic viruses are at their worst at the beginning.

[vercetti2021]

20. Wow

I didn't really know that, but thanks for clearing that up

[PatSeg]

28. Well said

Like all life forms, the virus wants to survive and does not benefit by killing off its host.

[Samrob]

32. Only the GOP does that.

[PatSeg]

34. Oh yes!

Apparently they are unlike any other known life form! Truly an anomaly.

Welcome to DU!

[Demsrule86]

31. Usually the viruses face natural selection and those more contagious and less lethal are

favored.

[spinbaby]

18. Covid is an RNA virus

Although there are viruses with DNA, the virus that causes covid contains RNA, not DNA.

[GaYellowDawg]

36. That's absolutely correct.

As with all RNA viruses, COVID has a gene for an enzyme called reverse transcriptase, which synthesizes a DNA molecule from the single-stranded RNA molecule. It's not unusual for a reverse transcriptase to have an error rate of 1/15K to 1/30K base pairs per replication. Because COVID has a 30K "chromosome," the error rate for RT makes it a highly mutable virus.

[Demsrule86]

30. Most viruses and from what I see this one is no exception...they mutate in a way that

they spread easier and become less fatal. I studied viruses for a number of years...including the pandemic of 1918...started in college and continued after graduation...I have always been interested in this.

[helpisontheway]

3. It is probably already here. Nt

[SunSeeker]

11. Of course, another variant was just a matter of time, with this level of infection. nt

[canetoad]

4. I'm reading in other sources

That this is an Omicron variant, not a Covid variant. I don't know what the distinction is. We need more information. Stay safe, little sister.

[Celerity]

5. yes, it is a subvariant of Omicron, BA.2 as opposed to BA.1

and thanks, we are trying!

[Turbineguy]

6. More info....

According to multiple reports, BA.2 causes mild symptoms.

Fomsgaard said people should not be too worried, at least not yet, despite the speed at which BA.2 is spreading.

“We can not see any difference in hospitalization numbers, death rates and so with BA.2, “so it is not something that worries us yet.”

“But we are also aware that we have a very short observation time,” he added, referring to the fact that BA.2 is still “a new piece in the Covid game.”

Therefore, his belief is that “right now we should just treat it as yet another variant until new data should eventually show other results”.

[canetoad]

7. They said that about Omicron

But thank you for the information. We'll see if it's true.

[hlthe2b]

29. That is a distinction that is both relevent and ultimately hard for lay public to understand...

Similar to a phylogenic tree distinction--Omicron is a COVID-19 variant and BA.2 is a variant of Omicron. (Sort of like a family tree, the 3rd layer progeny share more genetic similarities to their parents than the grandparents or biologic great uncles and great aunts). The relevance is that the mutations from Omicron (BA.1) make this BA.2 most likely to retain a lot of BA.1 rather than becoming a dramatically different and potentially more deadly, distinctly different COVID-19 variant. In viral genetic terms, it is likely to retain more "homogeneity" with the previous Omicron variant. Playing the odds, that means the resulting infectivity and clinical syndrome is more likely to be similar to original Omicron than a dramatically different presentation of COVID-19 as was seen with the Delta (or Omicron) varients, compared to Alpha or the original first pandemic strain.

[canetoad]

44. Thanks for the explanation

I (sort of) get it.

[Fiendish Thingy]

8. This variant was identified back in December, and this is the first I've heard of it

Something doesn’t seem right…

[Hekate]

41. Maybe because a lot of stuff floats around mutating & we non-scientists only "hear about it" when ...

… a variant becomes both successful and dangerous.

We never hear about a new strain of the common cold, because on the whole it doesn’t kill anyone or send them to the hospital — yet I have a feeling there are scientists who chart the changes.

Just a thought.

[Fiendish Thingy]

43. Yeah, but my wife is a retired Clinical Laboratory Scientist, and sits in on virtual grand rounds

And says nothing has been mentioned.

Docs and other experts who frequently make the media rounds have said nothing- I’ve heard nothing from Andy Slavit, Bob Wachter, Peter Hotez, Ashish Jah, not to mention Fauci.

Either this is a big nothingbirger, or there’s a media blackout from the scientific community…

[pnwmom]

13. Key questions: how contagious is it? And are the current vaccines protective? n/t

[Celerity]

15. Could be more contagious than BA.1 Omicron and too soon to know about jabs' effectiveness.

I would think (well hope) it is as mild or milder than the first Omicron strain.

[Demovictory9]

16. not another one! i want this pandemic to end

[Tommymac]

25. It will never 'end'. It will just fade into the fabric of society in the long run.

Get used to variations - that is how virus's work. They will never end either.

Thank TFG for pulling the US Pandemic team out of China, and trashing the work President Obama did to try and prevent scenarios like the one we are in today.

And thank the QOP for allowing Covid to become the dominant form of life in the US and the World with their politicization of masking and vaccines.

[progree]

17. And Denmark is the 2nd highest new infection rate (all Covid types) in the world

EDIT: oops, forgot the link: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/world/covid-cases.html
also added in Sweden and Norway since Scandanavia is the focus of this and another thread

New cases per 100k population, 7 day moving average
(countries over 100k population)
#1 Israel: 693, 14day increase: +359%
#2 Denmark: 619, 14day increase: +98%
#3 France: 533, 14day increase: +54%
#4 Portugal: 450
#5 Slovenia: 425
#6 Iceland: 380
#7 Belgium: 356
...
#12 Sweden: 311, 14day increase: +120%
...
#14 Norway: 281, 14day increase: +140%
...
U.S.A.: 215 , 14day increase: "Flat"
...
U.K.: 136, 14day increase: -48% (but the decrease is leveling off)

BTW, Denmark has a fully vax rate of 81%, Sweden 73%, Norway 74%, compare to U.K. at 72%, U.S. at 63%,

I was so hoping it would be going way down soon, like South Africa and the U.K. to name a couple places that were first hit, I've been really hunkered down much more with Omicron than since anytime except near the beginning back in March-April 2020. Minnesota is already showing a lot less Omicron in the waste water than a week ago. But now this.

[Emile]

19. Is our vaccines effective to fighting off this BA.2 'stealth' mutation?

[Celerity]

21. obviously not at preventing infection, but let's hope it does its main jobs, preventing

hospitalisations and death.

[panader0]

22. Dammit Celerity. It's only 4 AM on a Sunday morning and I have to read this shite!

Seriously, we all knew another variant would soon replace omicron, but I officially now have
covid fatigue. All I can do is shake my fist at the sky, but I'll wait until the sun comes up.

[Klaralven]

23. May cause an additional wave of omicron in France

To date, the sub-variant has been detected "at very low levels" in France, says France’s public health agency. "We have an international situation where the Omicron variant is circulating a lot, so it is normal that we observe sub-variants over time," the agency said on January 21.

France thought it had reached its peak in mid-January. But new infections seem to be rising again, to everyone's surprise. 425,183 French people tested positive for Covid-19 on January 20. Over the last seven days, the average number of daily cases was 337,192, or 9% more than the previous week.

BA.2 is likely to re-launch the epidemic in France, said Flahault, interviewed by La Dépêche. "In the UK, the number of new cases of Covid-19 falls by half every seven days [...] We expected France to follow suit with a two-week delay: This is not the case. And this new variant could be at the origin of the very recent increase in contaminations that we are currently observing."

https://www.france24.com/en/france/20220122-scientists-scrutinise-characteristics-of-new-covid-19-omicron-sub-variant-ba-2

[Baitball Blogger]

24. Hear that DeSantis? Your policies are built on bad science.

You're making difficult times even harder on people.

[madville]

26. Desantis caused a new variant in the UK and Denmark?

Just curious what the connection, does he have a lot of influence there?

[Baitball Blogger]

27. Over the summer, when he decided to take his hands-off position on Covid and the

vaccinations, he told everyone to trust him because Covid would be over by the Fall. He treated it like it was an annual flu. And then came Omicron and we we're dealing with the wave from that variant. And now we'll have another wave from a new variant.

His science does not hold up. In fact, the more people refuse to get vaccinated, the more chances of dealing with ongoing variants.

[Samrob]

33. I am asking the virus experts here and in simple lay terms so I can understand.

Do viruses "marry" and produce offspring that are worse than their parents?

[Zeitghost]

35. No

They self replicate once they enter a host cell. So differences come by way of mutation. These mutations can be "worse" or "better" but natural selection favors more contagious and less deadly.

[JanMichael]

37. Nature may favor less deadly but it doesn't happen as regularly as people think

Rabies polio the measles never ever got less dangerous for humans. Covid hasn't hit its peak either on a high or a low at this point we are too early to know what is going to happen. But yes the general theory is sometimes viruses get weaker because they run out of hosts to infect by killing them. But not all of them. Actually I don't even know what the percentage is do you think you can tell us? Maybe that's more prevalent with coronaviruses and flus than it is with the other viruses? If it is that would be awesome.

[Zeitghost]

38. I don't believe rabies, polio, measles...

Mutate as quickly as Corona viruses. Which is also why vaccines work much better for those diseases.

[JanMichael]

39. Thank you for that I had no idea.

That's not really my specialty at all. But if that's the case then we can certainly hope for more mutations and weaker outcomes. Just don't know when we'll get there.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

40. Thanks for posting this info, Celerity. It's best we stay abreast so forewarned is forearmed.

Thanks also to the other medically knowledgeable DUers for their helpful input.

KY........ ......

[BeckyDem]

42. K&R

[roamer65]

45. I'm pretty sure I have Omicron right now.

Sneezing, runny nose, slight cough, dulled sense of smell and taste. Like a mild head cold.

It’s going around like wildfire in Michigan.

Pretty mild for me so far since I am full dose Moderna x 3.