BA.4.6: What we know about the new Omicron subvariant that is spreading

There is a new subvariant of the omicron COVID variant which has been quickly gaining traction in the US, and now in the UK: BA.4.6. It accounts for more than 9% of new cases in both countries. It is also being detected in some other countries.

Here is a look at what we know about BA.4.6 so far

• BA.4.6 is a descendant of the BA.4 variant, which was first detected in January 2022 in South Africa and has since spread around the world alongside the BA.5 variant.
• It's possible it could be a recombinant variant. That happens when two different variants of the coronavirus infect the same person at the same time.
• BA.4.6 carries a mutation to the spike protein which helps it with immune evasion - that is, it helps the virus to escape antibodies acquired from vaccination and prior infection.
• Experts expect that, like the Omicron variant, the BA.4.6 subvariant too will cause less serious illness and fewer deaths.
• Omicron subvariants, we have already seen, tend to be more transmissible than previous variants.
• BA.4.6, according to prelim studies, appears to be even better at evading the immune system than BA.5, the currently dominant variant.

Why is the emergence of every new variant or subvariant to be closely monitored? Because any of it could lead to the next wave of the pandemic.

The emergence of new subvariants show the the virus is still very much with us, and that people who have had COVID previously can contract the virus again. This is particularly true of Omicron.

The virus is mutating to find new ways to overcome our immune response from vaccination and previous infections. Vaccination continues to offer good protection against severe disease, and is still the best weapon we have to fight COVID. Also, comply with any public health measures in place to prevent the spread.