– Omikron is now divided into some subgroups. One subgroup, called BA.2., Has so far been uncommon in the world. But now, after the New Year, it has increased quite sharply, including in Denmark and parts of Sweden.
Karoline Bragstad tells Dagbladet. She is a senior researcher and section leader at the Section for Influenza and Other Airborne Infections at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH).
The subgroup is referred to as “an even more mutated version of the omicron” in FHI’s latest weekly report. It has already been discovered in Norway, and seems to be “on the rise” especially in Denmark, according to Bragstad.
Rejects “delta crown” concern: – Laboratory error
– A more contagious
Bragstad does not rule out that the explanation, in whole or in part, lies in the fact that Danes are simply better at sequencing samples than other countries – and that BA.2 in reality is more widespread in other countries that do not sequence as much.
– This variant is not picked up in perhaps the most used screening method for omicron in Europe if this is used alone for screening, Bragstad says.
Therefore, the subgroup can go undetected until the samples are sequenced – which often takes longer, the senior researcher explains.
– There are few cases worldwide, but more than half of the cases globally have been in Denmark recently – and it seems to increase even faster than the original omicron variant. This indicates that it is even more contagious than the omicron variant we are familiar with. It is perhaps the one we are most on guard for right now.
So far, the National Institute of Public Health is not directly concerned – but they are following closely, according to Bragstad.
– We wonder if it might have an even greater contagion advantage than omikron otherwise. So we are following it closely now, to see how this degenerates.