Omicron BA.2 sub-variant found in 57 countries, says WHO
(VOVWORLD) -Omicron BA.2 sub-variant that scientists call "stealth Omicron" has been detected in 57 countries, the World Health Organization said on Tuesday.
 Taking samples for COVID-19 testing in Berlin, Germany, January 28, 2022. Photo: Xinhua/VNA
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In its weekly epidemiological update, WHO said that since its emergence in late 2021, the Omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 has rapidly become the dominant variant globally.
The fourth sub-variants of Omicron collectively account for 93% of all COVID specimens collected in the past month. Other three Omicron sub-variants are BA.1, BA.1.1, and BA.3. In particular, data from the GISAID database shows that BA.1 and BA.1.1 currently account for more than 96% of the total number of Omicron-infected samples that have been sequenced. The number of infections with variant BA.2, the "stealth" version of Omicron because of the difficulty to detect it in PCR tests, is increasing rapidly, according to WHO.
GISAID is a global science initiative and primary source established in 2008 that provides open-access to genomic data of influenza viruses and the coronavirus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic.