It seems that the subvariant of the new "Omicron" variant, called "BA.2," has also started spreading among countries worldwide. According to the "Deadline" website, this subvariant has been referred to by some as "Hidden Omicron," due to its ability to hide itself better than previous variants. The source explained that initial indicators suggest that "BA.2" has spread even in countries that were previously hit by the original Omicron variant "BA.1."
In Denmark, for example, "BA.2" now accounts for nearly half of the COVID-19 test results. The new variant has also spread to the UK, Norway, France, India, Sweden, and the United States. Scientists are still studying this subvariant, but preliminary analyses do not show "any differences in hospitalization rates," and it remains unclear how effective vaccines are against it.
Health authorities in the UK have classified "BA.2" as a "variant under investigation," noting that it was first detected in the country on December 6. Experts say that it is in the nature of viruses to change and mutate dozens of times, so it is expected that new variants will emerge as the pandemic continues.
