Omicron’s subvariant— known as BA.2– seems to be more contagious than the original variant, but not may not be as severe, Denmark’s Health Minister said in a national address on Wednesday. The subvariant is now dominant in Denmark.

Currently, 98% of all cases across the globe are caused by the original omicron variant’s lineage, however, Denmark’s population has faced the evolved version, according to reports from Reuters.

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Magnus Heunicke, the Danish Health Minister, said in a statement on Wednesday, “There is no evidence that the BA.2 variant causes more disease, but it must be more contagious.”

Omicron’s variant is currently being investigated and tested by United Kingdom‘s Security Agency, which said that there may be a growth advantage.

According to reports from Reuters citing preliminary results of investigations done by Denmark’s Statens Serum Institut, the BA.2 variant may be 1.5 times more infectious than the original omicron. 

However, an initial analysis by the institute showed no difference in the risk of hospitalisation for BA.2 compared to BA.1.

The news comes as Denmark announced that it will be rolling back all of its COVID-19 restrictions starting February 1, becoming the latest European country to remove curbs even though infections have picked up pace.

Also Read: Study: Omicron’s immune response effectively neutralizes delta variant

Statens Serum Institut technical director said at the press briefing, “There is some indication that it is more contagious, especially for the unvaccinated, but that it can also infect people who have been vaccinated to a greater extent”, according to reports from Reuters.

Sweden, United Kingdom and Norway have also registered cases of the second lineage variant of omicron.

Denmark currently requires face masks on public transportation, in shops, for standing clients in restaurant indoor areas, and for people entering hospitals, health care facilities and retirement homes. As of February 1, the government will only recommend mask use in hospitals, health care facilities and homes for the elderly.