Public Health France has just published an analysis of the risk of new variants, while Omicron BA.2 dominates in France.
BA.1, BA.2, BA.3… The Omicron variant of Covid-19 continues to create important sub-lineages. An expected process, according to experts from Public Health France, which has just carried out an analysis of new variants of Sars-CoV-2.
Today in the world, it is therefore Omicron which dominates at 97.9% in new contaminations. An “almost exclusive” domination explained by “a transmission advantage compared to previous variants”, details Public Health France. Its immune escape is also in question: with Omicron, the protection of vaccines decreases more quickly. Only the severe forms seem relatively limited in the long term. This variant that arrived following Delta would also be less “immunogenic”, with a higher rate of reinfection.
The Omicron variant now has five sublineages, identified in several countries. On the BA.2 variant, currently the majority in France, the experts evoke a higher transmissibility and a shorter generation interval (the time between two cases). But BA.2 would not cause more serious forms of Covid-19 than the BA.1 strain.
Recombinant XD follow-up
The BA.4 and BA.5 sublineages, detected at the beginning of April, do not seem to generate any new worrying characteristics. In addition, the three so-called “concerning” variants, Alpha, Beta and Gamma, are now classified as “not circulating” in the world. Rather reassuring.
On the other hand, several strains are closely monitored. This is the case of the XD recombinant of SARS-CoV-2, which combines Omicron and Delta. Its surveillance in France is “reinforced”. This new variant might replicate more easily within the lungs of its host. On the other hand, it would not be more contagious than the previous strains.
China: new deaths in Shanghai
Twelve people died on Friday as a result of Covid-19 contamination in Shanghai, once morest 11 the day before, announced on Saturday April 23 the health authorities of the largest Chinese city whose population is exasperated by the restrictions introduced to stem the spread. of the virus. The anger of the inhabitants of Shanghai, faced with draconian measures, does not weaken, without encouraging the authorities to reduce the measures aimed at eradicating the virus. “The more difficult the period, the more you will have to grit your teeth and hunker down,” said Gong Zheng, the city’s mayor.
