BA.2 continues to demonstrate a substantial growth advantage. What's the least amount of exercise we can get away with? There are also hybrid strains, such as XE, which is a combination of BA.1 and BA.2 By Alex Finnis These early findings should be interpreted with caution as transmission data and dynamics can fluctuate, meaning that early findings can change quickly when new variants are identified. However, cases of the variant continue to rise at an extraordinary rate already surpassing the record daily number in the pandemic. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published a new variant technical briefing containing an updated Omicron risk assessment, alongside analysis on vaccine efficacy, sub-lineages and symptoms. As viruses mutate often and at random, it is not unusual for small numbers of cases to arise featuring new sets of mutations. People aged 75 and over remain at particular risk of severe disease if they are not up to date with their vaccinations. The UKHSAs COVID-19 variant technical briefing 43, published today, includes epidemiological analysis that shows that Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 now make up more than half of new COVID-19 cases in England, accounting for approximately 22% and 39% of cases, respectively. UKHSAs new analysis examines 3 recombinants, known as XF, XE, and XD. Download the data.xlsx. All age groups are affected, including the 75s and over, who are due a spring booster jab to top up protection. 8 Research published in April 2022 in The Lancet also found. What are the five main Omicron symptoms? - Open Access Government Everybody who is contacted or has symptoms should take aPCRtest as soon as possible, even if they have received a positive COVID-19PCRtest within the last 90 days. 3 Common Omicron BA.2.12.1 COVID-19 Subvariant Symptoms - Good Housekeeping There will be a coprimary endpoint : Neutralizing antibody titers against the SARS-CoV-2 variant of most prominent public health interest according to pandemic evolution (among D614G, B.1.351, Omicron sub-variants BA.4-5, BQ1.1 and XBB or another recent variant) and against one of the variant targeted by the vaccines.