Generic image at a vaccination centre (Photo: Getty Images)Generic image at a vaccination centre (Photo: Getty Images)
Generic image at a vaccination centre (Photo: Getty Images)

'Stealth Omicron': How common is the Covid-19 sub-variant in every Yorkshire area - and how many cases have been detected?

Cases of the Omicron sub-variant BA.2 have been in the UK for some time - the first example was found on December 6, 2021.

But numbers are growing both here and abroad, and the UK Health Security Agency named it a ‘variant under investigation’ on January 21.

Early analysis suggests it has a faster growth rate than the Omicron strain currently dominant in the UK, BA.1, but there is not enough evidence to say whether it causes more severe illness.

The Wellcome Sanger Institute analysed 38,000 positive Covid-19 tests taken in the week to January 15 to determine which variant they were.

It found one in 100 samples were now Stealth Omicron across England.

No cases of Steal Omicron were identified in the following parts of Yorkshire: Craven, Hambleton, Ryedale, Scarborough, Selby, Doncaster, Rotherham, Sheffield, Calderdale and Kirklees.

However, the sub-variant was detected in other parts of the region. Read on to find out more.

Related topics:

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.