A new subvariant of Omicron has been detected in Ireland - with a Danish study suggesting it's even more transmissible than the original.
The latest Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HSPC) report has confirmed the existence of the BA.2 subvariant in Ireland.
BA.2 - also known as "stealth Omicron" - was first detected earlier in 2022 and has now become the dominant variant in Denmark.
A new study by Danish universities and SSI researchers involved 18,000 and took place between December 20 and January 18.
But what did that Danish study show? Is "stealth-Omicron" able to get past the vaccines? And how much more virulent is it?
Where was BA.2 first discovered?
It's not yet certain for definite, but the first reported cases were discovered in the Philippines.
How many cases of BA.2 are there in Ireland?
The latest HSPC report has said that there are currently nine cases of BA.2 in Ireland.
How much more transmissible is BA.2?
According to the study, BA.2 has a 39% greater chance of transmitting to another person in a household, which is a 10% increase over BA.1 (Omicron), Denmark's SSI health authority said.
If infected, but you've received the booster, you're far less likely to transmit it to someone else.
"This indicates that after a breakthrough infection, vaccination protects against further transmission, and more so for BA.2 than BA.1," the report said.
Are unvaccinated people more at risk?
The study also shows that BA.2 is more likely to infect unvaccinated people than its predecessor.
But those who have been fully vaccinated, including a booster, are far less likely to be infected with this new strain.
Is it a variant of concern?
BA.2 has yet to be classified as "a variant of concern" by the WHO like Omicron and Delta were, but it is being closely monitored.
Are infections similar to the original Omicron variant?
BA.2 infections are much milder than Delta or Alpha, with vaccines continuing to offer protection against the worst effects of Covid-19.
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