Tests may not detect new ‘stealth variant’ of omicron, doctors warn

TAMPA, Florida. – Public health experts around the world are keeping a close eye on a subvariant of omicron which they call “stealth omicron” because it may be harder to detect with currently available tests.

The World Health Organization has not labeled BA.2 a variant of concern, but it has reached nearly 50 countries, including the United States, leading scientists to believe it is even more contagious than the original omicron variant.

“So from my perspective, it’s not a new variant. It’s like omicron’s sibling,” said Dr. Seetha Lakshmi, assistant professor of infectious diseases at the University of South Florida and at Tampa General Hospital and Medical Director of TGH’s Global Institute for Emerging Diseases.

Scientists first discovered the stealth omicron in Denmark, and they found it to be harder to detect in testing. Dr Lakshmi explained what it means when a test sample is sent to a lab.

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“You can still you can still detect the virus. It’s not going to change. You just can’t tell what variant it is. So nothing about how quickly you can detect is going to change. It may take a little longer, depending on the machines used,” Lakshmi said.

It is important to know which variant is circulating. TGH sequences its own COVID-19 samples, and Dr. Lakshmi said his machines will be able to pick up the stealth omicron.

“What I can tell you is based on what we did at USF-TGH is we didn’t see in our last sequencing run, we didn’t see a stealth variant here “, she said.

Now, the focus is on the contagiousness of the mutation, the effectiveness of vaccines against it, and the severity of the disease.

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“So it’s a little harder to detect a little more contagious. But probably vaccines will work and probably won’t be more deadly. That’s what we know so far and could change, but at least that’s as well as we are thinking about it right now,” Lakshmi said.

What hasn’t changed is the risk to unvaccinated people. TGH reported that hospitalizations of unvaccinated patients in the past year far outnumbered those who had been vaccinated. Public health experts have therefore said that vaccines offer the best protection against the virus as it evolves.

“Right now, what’s in our power is to make sure our loved ones are strengthened and protected to the best of their abilities as we learn more about the stealth variant,” Lakshmi said.

Doctors said getting tested if you have symptoms is still very important, and getting a booster shot will increase your level of protection.