Subvariant may spread faster and cause more serious illness than Omicron

New laboratory experiments conducted in Japan show that BA.2, a subvariant of Omicron, is spreading more quickly than the original variant, may cause more severe illness and be able to get around some of protection afforded by COVID-19 vaccines and boosters. A booster shot makes illness from BA.2 74 percent less likely and unvaccinated individuals are at much greater risk of severe consequences. The research was released as a preprint study and is currently undergoing a peer review.