Many countries have been struggling around the globe, after the first Covid outbreak was in Wuhan, China in the year 2019. And now, a surge in cases has been fueled by the stealth sub-variant of Omicron. On Tuesday, China reported more than 5,200 fresh cases in 24 hours and around 30 million people are under lockdown already. China has shut down many cities amid the sudden spurt in stealth omicron cases. It has been announced as the biggest outbreak including the early days of pandemic. A zero tolerance strategy has been imposed on the country to prevent the spread of virus. Can this sub variant become a threat for India? Read further to know more.
What is stealth omicron?
Stealth omicron is a quickly spreading variant also known as B.A.2. and, it is the main reason behind the outbreak in China. Currently, the variant is under study by researchers at the UK Health and Security Agency (UKHSA). On Tuesday, they announced that it is probing the sub-lineage. The sub-variant has lead to a huge outbreak in China. In addition, it is becoming dominant in several other countries such as the Philippines, Nepal, Qatar, Denmark, and India.
The stealth omicron variant is being reported as a fastly spreading one as compared to the original Omicron, which itself had a high transmition rate than the original Coronavirus and other variants, as per an early research. It is also being noted that Omicron was responsible for the third wave of the Covid pandemic in many parts of the world including India where it infected a lot of people but caused relatively less fatalities as seen on the previous variants like Delta.
Also read: Omicron Variant: Home Care Guide Explained By Expert
This sub-variant is a matter of concern because it is difficult to diagnose. Stealth omicron variant has missing key mutations in the spike protein that are generally necessary required for rapid PCR tests to detect the infection. As per the World Health Organization (WHO), BA.2 variant is most likely to have the same severity as the 'original' one.
Stealth omicron symptoms
The two most early reported symptoms by patients infected by this sub variant are dizziness and fatigue. These symptoms are highly likely to show within two to three days after being infected with the virus. Other symptoms of stealth omicron might also include fever, fatigue, coughing, sore throat, muscular fatigue, cold, and raised heart rate.
Right now, there is no specific scientific evidence to know if the new sub-variant is different from Omicron or not, in terms of the symptoms. Recently, experts and officials at the World Health Organization warned that Omicron might not be the last Coronavirus variant and the next strain can be even more contagious.