BA.2: Two new cases of Omicron sub-variant confirmed in California
Omicron sub-variant BA.2 has been detected in 40 countries so far
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Santa Clara health officials on Tuesday confirmed two cases of the Omicron sub-variant BA.2, taking the total confirmed cases in California to 11.
It remains unclear whether the newer sub-variant, which is being monitored by the WHO, will behave differently to the more common BA.1 lineage that has spread widely across the world, said the county’s deputy health officer Dr George Han.
“Early indications say that it probably behaves just like the BA.1 Omicron lineage, but again it’s probably too early to tell, because of the small number of cases that have occurred so far,” he said.
Health officials have released no information about the two people who tested positive for the new sub-variant, reported ABC News.
So far the WHO has identified four lineages of the Omicron variant — B.1.1.529, BA.1, BA.2 and BA.3. While BA.1 is reported to be the more common variant, around 40 countries have now detected BA.2, which is now a variant under investigation.
According to CBS News, since mid-November nearly 15,000 genetic sequences of BA.2 were uploaded to GISAID, the global coronavirus data-sharing platform. Of these, 96 cases were from the US.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments