OMICRON has thrown up a "sister" sub-variant, which is spreading in the UK.

It's called BA.2, and is thought to be very similar to the current dominant strain – BA.1.

The numbers are still small, when compared to the Omicron that spread before Christmas.

Experts are closely monitoring it to see if there are any differences in severity of illness or effect of the vaccines – but at the moment it's not thought to be more serious, with vaccines working well.

The first known version of Omicron is B.1.1.529 – which is what was dubbed a variant of concern by WHO.

This then developed into two strains, with BA.1 becoming super transmissible, spreading to 171 countries and causing a row back on freedoms in many places.

Now, BA.2 and BA.3 have been logged as new sub-variants in the Omicron family.

There have been 2,500 cases of BA.2 found in the UK since December 6.

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But a string of positive studies show Omicron is milder than other strains – with vaccines thought to still be effective against BA.2 – a variant under investigation in the UK.

British epidemiologist Professor Tim Spector said he believes BA.2 is “not more severe” based on stable hospitalisations in Denmark.

UK data also shows three vaccine doses are highly protective against BA.2, with the booster shot driving efficacy against hospitalisation to 70 per cent.

Denmark was one of the first countries where BA.2 initially spread, and is now seeing around 20,000 cases – meaning its data may give the clearest picture of the strain available. 

The Statens Serum Institut (SSI) technical director Tyra Grove Krause said: "There is some indication that it is more contagious, especially for the unvaccinated, but that it can also infect people who have been vaccinated to a greater extent.”

A fresh study there showed the sub-variant is able to spread 1.5 times faster than BA.1.

Its higher transmissibility could mean that Omicron Covid waves will not dwindle as soon as hoped.

Top UK health chiefs had said the Omicron wave would likely consist of a dramatic spike in cases, before a very fast fall.

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And the forecasts were correct – after a huge surge in December, peaking in early January, Covid infections in the UK swiftly came down again.

But recently, after the detection of BA.2, the slowing has stalled. Cases are now flat at roughly 90,000 per day.

The UK’s health agency said BA.2 “has an increased growth rate compared to BA.1 in all regions of England”. 

A report published on Friday warned: “While growth rates can be overestimated in early analyses of a new variant, the apparent growth advantage is currently substantial.”

Analysis of cases so far shows that people with BA.2 are more likely to pass the strain onto people they live with, called the secondary attack rate.

BA.2 does not yet have specific symptoms linked to it, as it is so closely related to the Omicron Brits are more familiar with.

Therefore it is a safe assumption that the symptoms for someone with BA.2 will be very similar and cold-like.

The 20 most common symptoms:

• Runny nose
• Headache
• Fatigue
• Sore throat
• Sneezing
• Persistent cough
• Hoarse voice
• Other
• Unusual joint pains
• Chills or shivers
• Fever
• Dizzy
• Eye soreness
• Brain fog
• Unusual muscle pains
• Altered smell
• Skipped meals
• Swollen glands
• Chest pain
• Earache

Brits have been logging how they feel before and after testing positive on the ZOE Covid Symptom Study app.

It's especially helpful to know what symptoms they have when infected with the variant, as it helps others look for clues they too could be ill.

Still in the top 20 are symptoms like runny nose, headache, fatigue, altered smell and skipped meals.

It's important that if you think you have Covid from any known symptom you get a test and isolate for five days full days and take lateral flows to be released.

While Covid won't be a mild illness for everyone, most people who have had the variant say it's like a cold.

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