According to Spokane Regional Health District Health Officer Francisco Velazquez, omicron’s subvariant, also known as BA.2, allegedly causes distinct symptoms compared to previous strains.
When speaking with CBS-affiliated news station KREM 2 News, Velazquez said that BA.2 is more contagious than the original and causes different symptoms, such as dizziness. Although case numbers are falling, researchers in Denmark have discovered that the subvariant can reinfect those who already had already been infected with omicron, CNBC reports.
BA.2 currently makes up nearly 40% of all emerging cases that have been genetically sequenced around the globe, according to the World Health Organization.
Although a study conducted in South Africa concluded that BA.2 does not cause more severe disease than the original variant, a recent study in Japan found that it could potentially cause harsher symptoms. Furthermore, World Health Organization COVID technical lead Maria Van Kerkhove explained earlier this month that it isn’t clear if BA.2 differs at all from BA.1 in regard to severity, and emphasized that getting the vaccine is still the best way to prevent extreme cases of COVID-19.
“We need people to be aware that this virus is continuing to circulate and it’s continuing to evolve,” Van Kerkhove said. “That’s why it’s really important that we take measures to reduce our exposure to this virus, whatever variant is circulating.”