A descendant of omicron, this variant is expected to soon be dominant in the US.
Cases of COVID-19 had been coming down in the UK from their highest-yet heights hit this past January and things were beginning to look better. There were still tens of thousands of daily cases in the region but by the end of February, the extreme danger zone seemed to be growing increasingly in the past. But this March, things suddenly picked up again, and coronavirus cases are once more surging up the mountain across the United Kingdom. So far, deaths remain “low” averaging about 180 people dying from the virus daily, and the number of patients in intensive care is averaging less than 300. Still, the surge in cases can bring pause.
What is causing it? The BA.2 variant. Will we soon see this again in North America? Who knows. Probably. Here’s what we know.
Related: Should you continue to wear a mask?
What is the BA.2 variant?
The BA.2 variant of the novel coronavirus is a subvariant of the omicron variant. It’s said to be up to 80% more contagious than its variant parent, and will soon be the dominant strain throughout the US. The good news is, public health officials in the US say they aren’t expecting another large surge in new cases as a result of the BA.2 due to the heightened level of immunity now thought to be present in the nation’s population. This is due to widespread vaccination and numerous people having already had the virus. This being said, health officials have gotten things wrong before, so we’ll have to wait and see!
The BA.2 Variant and Kids
Generally speaking, some experts are beginning to see the novel coronavirus as endemic in communities rather than the center of a pandemic. The virus is still something to be reckoned with, however.
According to a report on CNN, a Hong Kong study found the BA. 2 coronavirus variant to be more severe for children compared with other COVID-19 variants and diseases like influenza. Of the 1,147 children who were hospitalized with the BA.2 variant in Hong Kong’s enormous February surge of the virus, four died. The children were aged 11 months, and 3, 4, and 9 years old. Three of the children had been in previous good health, and the 9-year old had suffered from muscular dystrophy. Two of the children died from swelling of the brain, and none were vaccinated against the virus.
Overall, children in Hong Kong who were hospitalized with the BA.2 variant were seven times more likely to die from the disease than those hospitalized with the flu. Even more alarming is the fact this study found children were 18 times more likely to be admitted to an ICU with the BA.2 variant than with previous variants of COVID-19.
All this being noted, however, the chances of a child dying from COVID-19 still remain very, very low.
What can you do? Don’t panic. Experts are advising that if you do have young kids in your family who cannot be vaccinated, protect them by vaccinating everyone around them such as friends and family. In places where masks are no longer mandatory, you might consider keeping effective masks on children as a preventive measure when indoors.
For more information on this study and the BA.2 variant, click here.
