Omicron subvariant BA2 appears more contagious

The BA.2 subvariant of the Omicron variant appears more contagious but not more severe, Danish Health Minister Magnus Heunicke said on Wednesday.

The main BA.1 Omicron variant currently accounts for 98 per cent of all cases globally but in Denmark has been pushed aside by BA.2, which became the dominant strain in the second week of January.

The UK Health Security Agency has designated BA.2 a variant under investigation, saying it could have a growth advantage. There have been 1845 cases of the sub variant in the UK as of Monday.

Preliminary calculations suggest BA.2 could be 1.5 times more infectious than BA.1, Denmark's top infectious disease authority, Statens Serum Institut (SSI), said in a note on Wednesday.

However, an initial analysis by the institute showed no difference in the risk of hospitalisation for BA.2 compared to BA.1.

Agencies