The new omicron variant BA. 2.75, also called “centaurus”, was about two weeks ago demonstrated in Denmark. A variant which, according to experts, spreads faster than BA-5, which is currently dominant in this country.
Senior adviser at the department of virology at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (FHI), Torstein Aune, states that the variant has not yet been registered in Norway.
– We expect that it will be demonstrated in Norway during the next few weeks, he says, however.
Little knowledge
The omicron variant was first discovered in India in May and has since spread to over ten countries. The Dane who was diagnosed with the variant had been in southern Europe on holiday.
Virologists in several countries have issued messages of concern about the BA coronavirus variant. 2.75, which is a subvariant of omicron.
The corona pandemic: – Unexpected turn
The new variant nevertheless differs so much from the parent variant that it has been given its own nickname, writes The Guardian.
– What we know about BA. 2.75 is that it has some changes in antigenic sites in the spike protein compared to BA. 2, which means that there is a possibility that it may have an increased ability to bypass immunity from vaccines and previous infections, says Aune.
The senior advisor also says that there is currently no knowledge that BA. 2.75 is more contagious than other omicron variants, and that they have also not received indications that the course of the disease is any different.
– This is something we will find out more about in the future, he adds.
The European Infection Control Agency (ECDC) has recently categorized BA. 2.75 as a “variant of interest”, and has asked the countries in Europe to be vigilant, according to FHI’s latest weekly report.
Too early to say
FHI has also stated that they are particularly aware of the variant.
– The fact that BA 2.75 has been demonstrated in Denmark does not in itself give cause for concern in Norway. The fact that the variant has some new mutations that are believed to enable the variant to bypass immunity from previous vaccinations and infections, and the fact that it is now being discovered around the world, means that we are particularly aware of the variant, according to NTB.
Senior researcher at the Department of Immunology and Transfusion Medicine at the University of Oslo, Gunnveig Grødeland, has previously stated to Dagbladet that new variants will be able to have an impact on the spread of infection either through the fact that they infect more easily than previous variants, or through the fact that they have changed so much that they will no longer be prevented by neutralizing antibodies that were previously formed.
– Must be prepared
Aune nevertheless emphasizes that it is not at all certain that the new variant of omikron will cause a new wave of infection in the country.
– If we get a new wave of infection in the autumn, then it may well be another variant that is dominant.
Whether the vaccine is sufficient protection against BA. 2.75, is too early to say as of now.
– The vaccine has been shown to provide good protection against serious disease from BA.2. We assume that this will also apply to BA. 2.75, but we don’t know exactly how good the protection is yet, says Aune.
–
