The BA.2 subvariant of omicron now accounts for more than half of all COVID-19 cases in the United States, but how does this wave differ from the first omicron surge back in December?
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Dr. Robert Siegel, a professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Stanford University, told KCBS Radio's "Ask An Expert" the biggest difference is the increased risk to those who are unvaccinated.
"For somebody who hasn't been infected yet, I think clinically the outcome would be very similar, but they're more likely to get it," he said. "So, behaviors that you would have engaged in before, you might be at slightly more risk now from BA.2 than you were from the original omicron strain that was circulating. That's the main difference, that if you're not vaccinated, you might be at slightly higher risk."
Health experts were able to conclude that BA.2 is more contagious by observing which variant takes over when both infections are active in the population. They found that BA.2 produces more virus particles.
For those who had a previous omicron infection, Siegel said they should be "somewhat protected." "It would be like getting another dose of the vaccine," he said.
As the COVID-19 restrictions are lifted and people are taking off their masks, the risk has gone up in some ways, he warned. "People are engaging in higher-risk behaviors, their risk to get infected with BA.2 is even greater."
Despite an increased risk as the subvariant becomes more dominant, Siegel believes it's unlikely coronavirus safety protocol will be reinstated.
"Right now we're trying to balance public health with political and policy considerations, so if we wanted to stop the spread we would continue to engage in all the behaviors that protect us against previous strains. It's hard to imagine that happening at this point," he explained.
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