"Immune Evasion Power Stronger"…Stronger Than BA.5, the 'Kentaurus Variant' Is Coming

BA.2.75 Spreading Rapidly... Detected in 10 Countries Including the UK
Immune Evasion Capability Significantly Increased

In early May, infection cases of BA.2.75, first discovered in India, have been rapidly increasing overseas. The photo shows a self-test kit sales notice posted at a pharmacy in downtown Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] As the subvariants of COVID-19 Omicron, such as BA.5, rapidly spread, pushing the daily new confirmed cases in South Korea beyond 40,000, the immune-evasive BA.2.75 is spreading overseas.

According to the British daily The Guardian on the 12th (local time), infection cases of BA.2.75, which first emerged in India in early May, are rapidly increasing. BA.2.75 has currently been detected in 10 countries including the UK, the US, Australia, Germany, and Canada.

BA.2.75 is derived from BA.2, known as the "stealth Omicron," and has more mutations in the spike protein than previous Omicron variants or sublineages. Due to these additional mutations, the possibility of breakthrough infections or reinfections is higher. It is so different from previous variants that it is also nicknamed "Kentaurus," after the half-human, half-horse creature from mythology.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) added BA.2.75 to its list of "variants under monitoring" on the 7th, and the World Health Organization (WHO) is monitoring it as a variant of concern (VOC).

Meanwhile, the WHO announced that it will continue to maintain the international public health emergency of COVID-19 (PHEIC). This decision was made due to the increasing number of confirmed cases in many countries worldwide and the continuous emergence of variant viruses.