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‘Son of Omicron’ Covid edition touches down in Australia

January 28, 2022
Henry Club

‘Son of Omicron’ is here: an even more contagious and ‘stealth’ version of COVID-19 has touched down in Australia and is spreading rapidly

  • ‘Son of Omicron’ variant detected in Australia, officials say
  • Expert warns that BA.2 version of Omicron may be more contagious than ancestor
  • The variant has been detected throughout Europe and is growing rapidly in Denmark.
  • University of Melbourne epidemiologist called the strain ‘Omicron’s son’
  • ‘It could extend our waves and they could take longer to get out,’ she said
  • Experts say new version appears to be less dangerous despite infectiousness

By Michael Pickering And Charlie Koi for Daily Mail Australia

Published: , Updated:


a strain of omicron It is even more contagious than the original version found in Australia, officials have confirmed.

The new BA.2 subvariant has spread across Europe and already accounts for 45 percent of all cases in Denmark.

So far the ‘stealth’ variant doesn’t seem too dangerous.

However, scientists fear that it may be even more difficult to track than previous strains as it can only be confirmed through laboratory analysis rather than PCR testing.

A Department of Health spokesman said in a statement: ‘Most states and territories in Australia have detected very small numbers of Omicron sub-version Ba.2 in respiratory samples submitted for testing.

‘Early detection of BA.2 in Australia testifies to success of Australia’s genomic sequencing strategy’

‘Like all variants, this will be closely monitored.’

Pedestrians wearing masks walk in front of the Sydney Opera House at Circular Quay on Tuesday. Omicron’s new BA.2 subvariant, which has spread across Europe, now found in Australia

Two genetically distinct subclasses of B.1.1529 have been defined - BA.1 and BA.2

Two genetically distinct subclasses of B.1.1529 have been defined – BA.1 and BA.2

University of Melbourne Epidemiologist Professor Nancy Baxter said on Thursday that early data suggests BA.2 may be even more contagious than its more common BA.1 predecessor.

‘TeaHere’s the type they call ‘the son of Omicron,'” he told an apparently concerned Today Show host Karl Stefanovic. ‘It’s more of a cousin, it’s a type related to Omicron.’

She said it was not clear whether BA.2 would prolong the latest wave of Omicron cases or it would even land on Australian shores.

“It seems, if people can believe it, it may be more contagious than Omicron,” she said.

‘So if it gets here, it could raise our waves and it could take a lot longer for them to get out. But we don’t know enough yet, so stay tuned.’

Stefanovic replied, ‘It’s bad news, for us to hear it again. And now the sub-variant has arrived.

'There's a type they call "son of omicron",' Melbourne University health expert Professor Nancy Baxter (right) told an apparently worried Karl Stefanovic on Thursday

There is a type they call ‘the son of Omicron’, a clearly worried Karl Stefanovic told the University of Melbourne health expert Professor Nancy Baxter (right) on Thursday.

The above graph shows daily COVID cases per million people in Denmark (red) and the UK (green). This suggests that Denmark, where BA.2 makes up 45 percent of cases, has seen a very high rise in cases.

The above graph shows daily COVID cases per million people in Denmark (red) and the UK (green). This suggests that Denmark, where BA.2 makes up 45 percent of cases, has seen a very high rise in cases.

Motorists being tested at a pop-up COVID clinic north of Melbourne on Wednesday

Motorists being tested at a pop-up COVID clinic north of Melbourne on Wednesday

In the picture above are all the countries where BA.2 is observed. Cases rising in Denmark, Germany and the UK

In the picture above are all the countries where BA.2 is observed. Cases rising in Denmark, Germany and the UK

Omicron’s BA.1 pedigree accounts for 98 percent of all cases globally, but has been pushed aside by BA.2 in Denmark, which became the dominant strain in the second week of January.

The United Kingdom Health Protection Agency has named BA.2 as a variant under investigation, saying it may have development benefits.

Preliminary calculations suggest that BA.2 may be 1.5 times more contagious than BA.1, Denmark’s top infectious disease authority, the Statens Serum Institute (SSI), said in a note on Wednesday.

However, a preliminary analysis by the institute showed no difference in the risk of hospitalization for BA.2 compared to BA.1.

“There is some indication that it is more contagious, especially for uninfected people, but it can also infect people who have been vaccinated to a greater extent,” SSI technical director Tyra Grove Krause said at the briefing.

This could mean that the peak of Denmark’s epidemic will extend slightly further into February than previously forecast, Krause said.

BA.2 cases have also been reported in the UK, Sweden and Norway.

Customers wear face masks in a Melbourne store. The Federal Department of Health has confirmed, 'Most states and territories in Australia have detected very small numbers of Omicron sub-version Ba.2 in respiratory samples submitted for testing.'

Customers wear face masks in a Melbourne store. The Federal Department of Health has confirmed, ‘Most states and territories in Australia have detected very small numbers of Omicron sub-version Ba.2 in respiratory samples submitted for testing.’

What do we know about BA.2? Should we be worried?

What is BA.2?

It is an off-shoot of the Omicron lineage.

It carries all the mutations of its parent, but it also has a variation that makes it difficult to use PCR tests.

Omicron’s outbreak has been easy to track because it has an S gene drop out, unlike Delta, which means it is easily visible on PCR tests.

But this is not the case with BA.2.

Is it more dangerous?

Preliminary analysis suggests that this subpopulation is slightly more permeable than Omicron.

It is already the dominant strain in parts of India and the Philippines, with scientists saying cases are now rising in Britain, Germany and Denmark.

But there is no evidence that it makes it more likely to cause serious illness.

should I be worried?

Dr Tom Peacock, one of the first scientists to warn the world about omicrons, says there is no reason to be overly concerned.

The expert from Imperial College London said he thinks the edition will not have a ‘substantial effect’ on the current wave.

Professor Francois Ballaus, a geneticist at Imperial College London, says that people who are not infected with Kovid should treat it as an omicron-like disease.

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