Omicron BA.2 sub-variant more infectious but no more severe — Africa CDC

The Omicron BA.2 sub-variant of Covid-19 appears to be more infectious than the original BA.1 sub-variant, but does not cause more severe disease, the head of Africa's top public health body said on Thursday, citing data from SA.

“SA is reporting that it is more transmissible than the BA.1 variant, but the severity seems to be the same,” said Dr John Nkengasong, head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

SA was one of the first countries to detect the Omicron variant which has since swept around the globe and become dominant in most places.

Though SA is over the peak of its Omicron wave, new infections have stabilised at about 3,000 a day, a higher level than that seen at the tail end of previous waves of Covid-19 infections.

Nkengasong said the trend may be linked to the BA.2 sub-variant, but did not elaborate.

Reuters