First case of "stealth" version of Omicron strain confirmed in Serbia

The mutated subvariant of the Omicron strain, called BA.2, is believed to be more contagious than the original BA.1

The first case of the stealth Omicron strain of coronavirus has been recorded in Serbia.

This information was confirmed for RTS from the Faculty of Medicine in Belgrade late on Monday.

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Virologist Tanja Jovanovic said that the new subvariant is slowly becoming dominant in some countries, but it is assumed that it gives the clinical picture similar to the original Omicron. The vaccine also protects against moderate to severe forms of the disease, Jovanovic stressed.

PCR tests performed at the Clinical Center of Serbia that detect the potential presence of the Omicron variant and subvariant of the virus pointed to the presence of a new subvariant, BA.2.

Virologist Tanja Jovanovic told RTS that it was noticed that this subvariant, which was first discovered in the Philippines at the end of January, is spreading even faster than the previous one, and is slowly becoming dominant in some countries, such as Denmark, India, Great Britain and Germany.

The presence of this subvariant has been proven in more than 50 countries, she said.

Symptoms thought to be similar

As for the symptoms, she stated that it is not yet known whether there are differences compared to the first subvariant of Omicron, BA.1, whether it gives more serious or lighter clinical picture, whether it finds it easier to avoid the vaccine or natural immunity.

However, she noted, it is assumed that it is similar to the previous subvariant.

Jovanovic added that subvariants do not differ much, only in about 20 mutations, otherwise they are very similar in the fixed mutations they have.

"There are much bigger differences between different variants than between different subvariants within one variant," the doctor explained.

Jovanovic stressed that the vaccine protects against developing moderate and severe forms of Covid.

(Telegraf.rs)