📍NEW “BA2” SUB-VARIANT—@UKHSA has designated a #Omicron sub-lineage, known as BA.2, as a new “variant under investigation”. 53 in 🇬🇧 but 2,093 sequences of BA.2 recorded from 22 countries. Unclear yet—but “possibility it could be more transmissible.” 🧵 https://t.co/EPpktbuqzR— Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing) January 21, 2022
Yeah they're different things, with a causative link. Immune evasion causes higher transmissibility.
It makes things worse because more people get infected, and because people who were immune to the previous variant can now be infected and damaged again by the new variant.
More infections also creates more opportunity for more dangerous mutations.
Is more transmissible even that concerning??
Omicron is so transmissible that i don't think it really moves the needle if a slightly more transmissible variant arises.
A virus could be more transmissible by being able to evade the immune response from previous infections or vaccinations.
That is to say, by being able to hurt people who had developed immunity to the previous variant.
So yes.
I think those are two different things. Immune escape and transmissibility that is.
It can develop transmissibility without getting immune escape. If that's all it is i don't see how it makes things any worse. Like it's already so bad
Yeah they're different things, with a causative link. Immune evasion causes higher transmissibility.
It makes things worse because more people get infected, and because people who were immune to the previous variant can now be infected and damaged again by the new variant. More infections also creates more opportunity for more dangerous mutations.