New COVID-19 Variant Stealth BA.2 Can Reinfect People Who Have Had BA. 1 Variant Already

According to a recent study, Stealth BA. 2 is the new COVID-19 variant that can reinfect people who have already had B.A. 1.

There has been an increase in COVID-19 cases in several parts of the world, including Denmark, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the U.S. The culprit is the new Omicron sub-variant, B.A. 2. Scientists who have been studying the strain for weeks now say BA.2 can be spread even more easily than the super contagious BA.1 Omicron variant.

One of the variant’s abilities is that it can reinfect a person who has already had B.A.1, and BA.1 could cause someone to catch it again within just months. Several cases of people re-catching the variant have been spotted in Denmark. From November 22, 2021, to February 11, 2022, there have been 1,739 reinfecting cases, Newsweek reports. There were 47 cases of people catching BA.2 right after catching BA.1.

The authors of the study noted the cases were “mostly in young unvaccinated individuals with mild disease not resulting in hospitalization or death.” The average age of those catching it is 15. Right now, the BA.1 to BA.2 infection rate “appears to be low,” however, the variant is still being analyzed.