We're next, no doubt.The BA.2 subvariant is thought to be about 30 percent more transmissible than the original BA.1 strain of omicron, which itself was already more contagious than earlier forms of the virus.
Scientists believe that part of BA.2's high level of transmissibility is caused by its unique mutations. BA.2 has eight mutations not found in BA.1, according to the New England Journal of Medicine.
Just as with the other omicron variants, vaccines are less effective against BA.2 than they are against the original strain of the coronavirus, and protection wanes over time. However, a booster shot restores protection against the virus, especially when it comes to preventing severe cases that lead to hospitalization and death, according to data from the United Kingdom Health Security Agency.
[...]
A missing gene in BA.1 meant it could be tracked through a regular PCR test, whereas BA.2 can be identified only through genomic sequencing, according to Reuters. The same is true for BA.3, which is increasing in various places but at relatively low rates.
Despite the subvariant's high level of transmissibility, evidence so far shows that BA.2 does not cause severe disease.
[...]
The rise in cases in Europe due to BA.2 — which has hit Germany and the United Kingdom particularly hard — has also been driven by the loosening of coronavirus safety measures across the continent.
Ralf Reintjes, professor of epidemiology at the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, told CNBC that the combination “of everyone thinking and expecting somehow that the pandemic is over now” and the relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions gives the subvariant “a really good chance to spread extremely wild in many parts of Europe.”
The Hill
...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.
UPDATE: Well, that was quick.
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