Fourth wave of Covid-19 coming? Omicron subvariant behind new cases in US

Washington: Triggering fresh concerns about the possible fourth wave, the latest data of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has shown that the BA.2 sub-lineage of the Omicron variant now makes up nearly a quarter of new Covid-19 infections in the US.

This data is up from around 1 in 10 new cases just a week prior, Xinhua news agency reported. The BA.2 variant is spreading fast in the country, with infections nearly doubling every week, according to CDC data.

Early studies showed that BA.2 may be up to 30 per cent more transmissible than the original Omicron. Meanwhile, figures showing a global rise in COVID-19 cases could herald a much bigger problem as some countries also report a drop in testing rates, the WHO has warned, warning nations to remain vigilant against the virus.

After more than a month of decline, Covid-19 cases started to increase around the world last week, the WHO said, with lockdowns in Asia and China’s Jilin province battling to contain an outbreak.

A combination of factors was causing the increases, including the highly transmissible Omicron variant and its BA.2 sublineage, and the lifting of public health and social measures, the WHO said.

"This increase are occurring despite reductions in testing in some countries, which means the cases we`re seeing are just the tip of the iceberg," WHO`s head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters.

Low vaccination rates in some countries, driven partly by a "huge amount of misinformation" also explained the rise, WHO officials said.

New infections jumped by 8% globally compared to the previous week, with 11 million new cases and just over 43,000 new deaths reported from March 7-13. It is the first rise since the end of January.

The biggest jump was in the WHO`s Western Pacific region, which includes South Korea and China, where cases rose by 25% and deaths by 27%.

Africa also saw a 12% rise in new cases and 14% rise in deaths, and Europe a 2% rise in cases but no jump in deaths. Other regions reported declining cases, including the eastern Mediterranean region, although this area saw a 38% rise in deaths linked to a previous spike in infections.

A number of experts have raised concerns that Europe faces another coronavirus wave, with case rising since the beginning of March in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.

The WHO`s Maria Van Kerkhove said at the briefing that BA.2 appears to be the most transmissible variant so far.

However, there are no signs that it causes more severe disease, and no evidence that any other new variants are driving the rise in cases.

The picture in Europe is also not universal. Denmark, for example, saw a brief peak in cases in the first half of February, driven by BA.2, which quickly subsided.

But experts have begun to warn that the United States could soon see a similar wave to that seen in Europe, potentially driven by BA.2, the lifting of restrictions and potential waning immunity from vaccines given several months ago.

 

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