Omicron BA.2 (dubbed Stealth Omicron) spreads even faster, but it is less severe than its parent strain called BA.1, Yelena Gasich, head of the laboratory for diagnosing HIV and concomitant infections at the National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology, told the Belarus 1 TV channel, BelTA informs.

Yelena Gasich noted that the both Omicron subvariants appeared almost simultaneously. Initially, there was a surge in BA.1 but then it began to be gradually replaced by its descendant BA.2.

“Firstly, these subvariants have a slightly different set of mutations, and secondly, they have somewhat different clinical manifestations. The first subvariant does not cause the loss of smell, but affects the upper respiratory tract, and has fairly mild symptoms. The Stealth subvariant causes less severe disease, but spreads faster,” the head of the laboratory said.

The Justice Ministries of the Union State member states held the 17th meeting of the joint collegium on 15 February, BelTA learned from the press service of the Justice Ministry.

Belarus' Healthcare Minister Dmitry Pinevich met with Cuba's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Belarus Juan Valdes Figueroa in Minsk on 15 February, BelTA learned from the ministry's press service.

Belarus' Defense Minister, Lieutenant General Viktor Khrenin had a telephone conversation with Ukrainian Defense Minister Aleksei Reznikov at the initiative of the Ukrainian side, BelTA leraned from the Defense Ministry of Belarus.