Danish Well being Minister Magnus Heunicke prompt on Wednesday that the subvariant of Omicron current in Denmark, known as BA.2, was much more contagious than the BA.1 pressure, which at present accounts for 98% of all instances globally.
“There is no such thing as a proof that the BA.2 variant causes extra illness, but it surely should be extra contagious,” Heunicke informed a information convention.
The BA.2 Covid subvariant may very well be 1.5 occasions extra infectious than BA.1, in line with estimates made by the Statens Serum Institut (SSI), Denmark’s high infectious illness authority.
“There’s some indication that it’s extra contagious, particularly for the unvaccinated, however that it could possibly additionally infect individuals who have been vaccinated to a larger extent,” the SSI’s technical director, Tyra Grove Krause, mentioned on the briefing.
She famous that, consequently, the present wave of infections will doubtless lengthen additional into February than beforehand forecast.
The BA.2 subvariant has additionally been recorded in Britain, Sweden, and Norway, however is significantly much less prevalent in these nations.
It has been registered as a variant beneath investigation by the UK Well being Safety Company, which famous its capability for progress. Preliminary evaluation prompt it was no more prone to trigger hospitalization than BA.1.
On Wednesday night, Denmark additionally eliminated the final of its Covid-19 restrictions, saying it now not considers the virus to be a “socially vital illness.”
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