WHO Confirms 'Stealth Omicron' in 57 Countries Worldwide

Due to the spread of the COVID-19 Omicron variant, the number of new confirmed cases exceeded 10,000 for the first time on the 26th, and citizens are visiting a temporary screening clinic set up at Seoul Station Plaza. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Hye-seon] The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on the 1st (local time) that the BA.2 subvariant of the COVID-19 Omicron variant, known as the 'Stealth Omicron,' has been detected in 57 countries worldwide.

According to foreign media, WHO reported in its weekly COVID-19 update that BA.2 sequences have been submitted to the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data (GISAID) from 57 countries. WHO stated that in some countries, more than half of the collected Omicron variants were identified as BA.2.

The Omicron variant has subvariants including BA.1.1, BA.2, and BA.3. Among these, BA.2 has been called the 'Stealth Omicron' due to its characteristic of not being distinguishable from other variants in conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests.

WHO explained, "About 96% of the Omicron variants submitted to GISAID are BA.1 and BA.1.1, but BA.2 is also clearly increasing."

According to Bloomberg News, the presence of BA.2 has been confirmed through imported cases in regions such as Denmark, Korea, Japan, India, Hong Kong, and Singapore. WHO stated that "there is still much unknown about the differences among Omicron subvariants, and further research is needed on transmissibility, immune evasion, and virulence."