Why does the Omicron sub-variant spread faster than the original?

Early studies suggest that the BA.2 lineage might prolong the Omicron wave, but won’t necessarily cause a fresh surge of COVID infections.

Ewen Callaway

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COVID-19 researchers are rushing to understand why a relative of the main Omicron variant is displacing its sibling in countries around the world.

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Nature 602, 556-557 (2022)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-022-00471-2

Yu, J. et al. Preprint at medRxiv https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.02.06.22270533 (2022).
Iketani, S. et al. Preprint at bioRxiv https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.02.07.479306 (2022).
Yamasoba, D. et al. Preprint at bioRxiv https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.02.14.480335 (2022).
Lyngse, F. P. et al. Preprint at medRxiv https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.01.28.22270044 (2022).

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