New covid variant ‘no cause for concern’, says NICD

The National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) says the latest known Covid-19 variant – BA.2 – is not a cause for concern yet.

NICD held a meeting on Wednesday, 26 January as part of their Covid-19 series: Decoding the Science. They discussed issues including vaccine efficacy and the immune response to Omicron.

The new version of the virus is a descendent of the Omicron variant (now referred to as BA.1) that was responsible for the country’s fourth wave of infections.

BA.2 was first identified in South Africa and India in late December 2021. Although other sub-lineages have been identified, they have not been in the public eye due to the increase in cases of people who have contracted the BA.2 variant.

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There is currently no evidence that suggests that BA.2 is more contagious or escapes immunity better than the original BA.1.

Research Professor Penny Moore from NICD and Wits has given reassurance that it is not necessary to panic. South Africa has seen a decrease in infections following a huge surge late last year.

Although the Omicron variant is now more prevalent than the original BA.1 in South Africa, it is not yet certain on what impact it will have on case counts, hospitalisations and deaths as there is not much information.

 “It is important to interpret vaccine effectiveness in the face of high rates of prior infection,” says Dr Michelle Groome, the Head of the Public Health Surveillance and Response division at NICD.