A New Global Outbreak Again, Caused by Omicron BA.2

When Omicron outbreak is fading in Canada, a new wave of the global epidemic has begun again! Surprisingly, this time, it was the “Omicron BA.2″, which had previously been considered less threatening, that turned the world upside down.

According to media reports, the outbreak in Asia recently is just caused by Omicron BA.2. This variant is 30 percent more transmissible than Omicron. Since its discovery, BA.2 has been found in at least 97 countries, including Canada. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), BA.2 now has accounted for one in five cases worldwide!

Although COVID-19 cases are now declining in North America, the proportion of cases caused by BA.2 has been increasing and has surpassed Omicron in at least 43 countries! When we were worried that Deltacron (combination of Delta+Omicron) might bring disaster to the world, BA.2, has quietly taken its toll.
In the UK, 170,985 new cases increased in past 3 days. The total number of infected cases on Saturday, Sunday and Monday was 35% higher than in previous week. 

Data shows number of infections is increasing in the UK, and Scotland has reached its highest level since past one year.

Although there is no official conclusion that the surge is related to BA.2, the data shows that the BA.2 overtook Omicron in just a few weeks after its discovery in the UK.
In France, French health authorities reported 18,853 new cases on Monday, the 10th increase in a row since the end of the country’s quarantine measures.
Now, the average number of new cases per day in past 7 days has reached 65,000, the highest level since Feb, 24th. The hospitalizations also increased, with 185 new deaths in 24 hours, reaching the largest increase in 10 days.

In Germany, the number of infections has risen again and the seven-day average has hit a new high. 

Same increase happens in Switzerland, which has ended almost all quarantine policies earlier. 

In Australia, new south wales health minister BradHazzard told the media that the number of daily new cases could double within four to six weeks as the BA.2 subvariant becomes more prevalent in the region.
Canada has just recovered from the Omicron outbreak, and no significant rise was found in cases now.
But with earlier reports indicating that BA.2 has already spread in Canada, experts warn that it is difficult to predict the true status of the BA.2 in Canada because of reduced nucleic acid testing in provinces.
Today, the World Health Organization renewed its warning that it is too early to believe that the pandemic is over as the virus continues to spread amid an increase in Europe in recent weeks. Lifting restrictions and allowing cases to rise would create more uncertainty. Easing restrictions opens the door to these viruses. 

Facing the virus, perhaps the most frightening thing is not the infection itself, but the sequelae. Vaccines can reduce severe illness, hospitalizations and deaths, but even the mildest symptoms of COVID-19 can cause irreversible harm.
Previous studies have shown that mild cases of COVID-19 can also cause brain shrinkage and premature aging; But recent research has revealed another frightening fact: A quarter of children infected with COVID-19 will develop to long COVID. 

According to the study, of the 80,071 children infected with COVID-19, 25% developed symptoms that lasted at least 4 to 12 weeks. The most common problems are neurological and psychiatric problems such as emotional symptoms, fatigue, sleep disturbances, headaches, cognitive changes, dizziness, balance problems, etc.
Reverence for the virus and serious epidemic prevention are still our prudent choices when we cannot control the virus.