News > Omicron ‘Stealth Variant’ Still At High Level, UK Study Finds

Omicron ‘Stealth Variant’ Still At High Level, UK Study Finds

A BA.2 sub-lineage of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, named a “stealth variant” by experts due to the absence of certain genetic changes that can distinguish this variant easily from others, remains at a high level even as coronavirus infections decline across England, a latest study reports on Thursday.

The analysis by Imperial College London and Ipsos MORI, based on around 95,000 swab tests taken between February 8 and March 1, showed that the highest rates of BA.2 were found in London.