OREANDA-NEWS. The strain of coronavirus BA.2 is formally considered a type of «omicron», but this subspecies of infection can significantly prolong the next wave of coronavirus, said american geneticist Dmitry Pruss. According to him, now this kind of «omicron» already dominates in Denmark, Sweden, India and the Philippines, writes Russian media Lenta.

«Mass distribution of BA.2 started only in recent days, there is less clarity with this strain. In Denmark, where BA.2 is already prevailing, the load on hospitals has stabilized. But this does not mean a cloudless prospect at all. After all, most of us expect that the «omicron» wave will end in a matter of weeks, and everything will open again. And BA.2, it may lengthen the wave, lead to repeated illnesses and significantly slow down the return to normal life», Pruss warned.

He said that just a month ago, the strain of BA.1, which is considered an ordinary «omicron», and BA.2 had common roots, but later began to develop in different evolutionary ways. According to the geneticist, BA.2 differs from «omicron» by 20 mutations, 10 of which «omicron» does not have at all.

A new strain of the coronavirus affects the middle respiratory tract, not the lungs, an American geneticist said. For «omicron», bronchiolitis of the middle respiratory tract is more characteristic. And for the «delta» — a deeper lesion of the lungs, the alveoli», said Pruss. He added that those with mild or moderate disease will not notice the difference between the strains.