Stealth Omicron is one of the most contagious diseases around, according to a former World Health Organisation official.
The Covid variant, which is known as BA.2, has become the most dominant strain in Scotland. It is believed to account for around 80 per cent of new infections.
Professor Adrian Esterman, an epidemiologist in Australia, has claimed that the new Covid variant is ‘pretty close to measles’ in terms of transmissibility.
He tweeted: “Omicron BA.2 is about 1.4 times more infectious than BA.1.
“The basic reproduction number (R0) for BA.1 is about 8.2, making the R0 for BA.2 about 12.
“This makes it pretty close to measles, the most contagious disease we know about.”
Nicola Sturgeon yesterday raised concerns about the BA.2 variant, which has now overtaken the original Omicron strain of BA.1 in Scotland.
The First Minister said that BA.2 could be as much as 80 per cent more transmissible than previous Omicron variant, which swept across the country towards the end of 2021.
Average Covid infections in Scotland have risen from an average of 6,900 three weeks ago to over 12,000 now.
The number of people in hospital with Covid has also spiked from 1,060 recorded three weeks ago to 1,996 currently.
But there is so far no evidence to suggest that BA.2 causes more severe illness or evades immunity more effectively than the original Omicron strain.
Sturgeon announced that a number of Covid restrictions will be lifted over the coming days in an address to MSPs on Tuesday.
All remaining travel restrictions will be scrapped from this Friday, while businesses will no longer be required to capture customer details for contact tracing purposes from next Monday.
Scotland’s Covid testing programme will also start to wind down over the coming weeks and months.
But the legal requirement to wear face coverings in most indoor setting will remain in place for at least another two weeks amid concerns over BA.2.
The First Minister said: “Today marks a further decisive shift away from controlling Covid through legal restrictions, and towards relying instead on advice and guidance. But please remember, especially since case numbers are so high, that this guidance and advice remains important.
“Given current case numbers, and the desirability of getting those back under control quickly, the wearing of face masks will stay in place for at least another two weeks.”
