There are two versions of the BA.2 Omicron Covid variant driving up new cases in New York, once again making the region a Covid hotspot.
The two variants, BA.2.12 and BA.12.1, may be the fastest-spreading variants of the Covid virus yet. However, they do not appear to cause the more severe cases of Covid that lead to hospitalizations and death.
New York state health officials announced the two variants yesterday and argued that the highly contagious new variants are likely contributing to cases rising.
In March, the duo of variants was responsible for more than 70 percent of new cases in central New York State. That figure is higher now at 90 percent of cases.
The pair of variants have been identified in 30 other states across the U.S., and in 40 other countries around the world.
State Health Commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett said that while the sub-variants were new, the tools to combat them were not. She said the tools will work if people use them all, which are to get fully vaccinated, get booster shots, get tested after exposures, symptoms, or travel, consider masks in public indoor spaces, and consult with healthcare if you test positive.
Both variants evolved from the BA.2 Omicron variant, which was responsible for driving a massive spoke in cases over the past winter.
But the new variants have a higher “growth advantage” of about 25 percent over the original BA.2 Omicron, which up until the newest variants, was the most contagious form of Covid. This means that the new forms could be even more likely to reproduce and become the new dominant forms.
New York state virologist Kirsten St George said that this is a reminder that “we’re not out of the woods” yet with the virus, and people need to keep taking precautions and get fully vaccinated.
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