Rudolf Rodrigues, Mumbai

STOP PRESS! Studies warn Omicron BA.2 is the most dangerous COVID variant ever, already wreaking havoc in HK, US In the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the sister strain of the BA.1 variant viz. the BA.2 was found to be 30 per cent more vaccine-resistant than BA.1 and 17 times more vaccine-resistant than the Delta variant. It has significantly more mutations than BA.1, and as the world begins to open up and reconnect, are we courting lethal danger? Kirti Pandey Updated Mar 9, 2022 | 07:09 PM IST The BA.2 variant is already creating havoc across Hong Kong India had been bracing for a massive third wave though predictions had lowered the threat of a severe rate of infections. The third wave was, thankfully, by far quite subdued as compared to the damaging and scary second wave that hit in mid-2021. People have now begun to assume that the COVID-19 disease has become endemic and many have discarded SOPs like masks and social distancing, thus throwing caution to the air. But here comes a shocker. Forget the predictions for the fourth wave which might come in June in India, the BA.1 variant of Omicron that drove the third wave is now being replaced by its closest cousin the BA.2 variant. Many studies have also mentioned that the BA.2 variant is NOT ONLY more transmissible than BA.1, it is also MORE LETHAL than Omicron BA.1. BA.2 is coming and it "doesn't look good!" The scary part is that BA.2 is quickly supplanting the previous variant in the country after country, writes Patrick Martin in WSWS.com. The findings directly contradict the claims of governments around the world that the pandemic is ending, that Omicron is “mild,” and that public health measures to fight to pandemic can be relaxed or eliminated altogether. Patrick Martin's WSWS.com report states that these findings come as the recent drop in COVID infections worldwide has slowed, and seems to have hit a plateau

DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse