The Washoe County Health District is reporting the first COVID-19 'stealth' Omicron BA.2 variant case in Washoe County, per sequencing from the Nevada State Public Health Laboratory.
The Omicron BA.2 variant is a subvariant of Omicron. To date, other sequenced Omicron cases have been Omicron BA.1, which currently makes up over 99% of new COVID-19 cases in Washoe County. The BA.2 variant has been found in 57 countries to date.
Health officials say initial data suggest that it is more transmissive than the original BA.1 form of Omicron; however, it does not seem to be any more severe and the vaccines continue to provide similar protections against the different forms of Omicron according to the World Health Organization.
The Washoe County resident who was positive for Omicron BA.2 had travelled internationally, which is where the patient is believed to have been infected but has since recovered from the illness. The resident was fully vaccinated but not boosted.
(Washoe County)Â
