What is known about the omicron subvariant detected in Argentina?

While the original strain of omicron It is done present in 171 countries and caused almost 22.1 million new infections in the last seven days globally, according to Worldometersthe site that collects statistics on the coronavirushealth authorities began to pay attention to a subtype of the variant that was found in at least 40 countries, and that registered this Monday its first case in Argentina, in a person from Uruguay.

According to the Danish Infectious Diseases Control Authority (SSI) in a statement, “the study shows that if one person in a household is infected with BA.2, there is an overall 39% risk of another family member being infected during the first week. In contrast, if the person is infected with BA.1, the risk is 29%.”

“Unvaccinated people may also be more likely to be infected by BA.2 relative to BA.1,” added Camilla Holten Møller, a doctor at SSI, quoted in the statement.

The study also shows that vaccinated people, and in particular those who received the booster dose, are less likely to be infected, he stressed.

Despite a record number of cases, the 43% increase in new infections registered in seven days, the Scandinavian country of 5.8 million inhabitants lifted all restrictions on Tuesdayarguing the strong coverage of vaccines and the less seriousness of the omicron variant.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA, for its acronym in English), reported that this subvariant, officially called BA.2, shows a “substantial growth” contagion compared to its parent strain, 126% higher each week.

According to a report prepared by the World Health Organization (WHO)this new version of omicron shows a further iteration of the same strain, named BA.1, as it differs from the previous mutations due to its cellular spike, i.e. its protein structure.

“Of all the Ómicron lineages, this is the one that shows the greatest increase in cases. But you have to be careful when interpreting that, because the highest increases from a very low number are easier to observe,” Ramón Lorenzo warned. -Redondo, assistant professor of medicine for infectious diseases at the Feinberg School of Medicine of the Northwestern University in Chicago, in dialogue with the CNN.

New variant of omicron: presents sustained growth

BA.2 already represents approximately 50% of the new cases of COVID-19 in Denmark and became the dominant strain in India, as reported by the CNN.

For its part, Argentina reported the first case of the BA.2 subvariant of the ómicron strain in the country.in a 62-year-old man living in Buenos Aires, who He arrived in Argentina on January 12 from Uruguay and began with symptoms two days later, the Argentine government reported on Tuesday.. The man the disease was mild and with outpatient treatment.

The Uruguayan Ministry of Public Health has already informed the Epidemiology area and the Pasteur Institute to follow up on the possible contacts of the infected person.

However, just like the original strain of omicron (BA.1), scientists are currently not concerned that subvariant infections present different symptoms than earlier versions of SARS-CoV-2.

What are your symptoms

According to the health guide prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, ómicron presents 11 characteristic symptoms, which allow it to be differentiated from its predecessor strains. These are: