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A version of Omicron that is even more contagious than the original strain could extend Australia's deadly latest wave of cases, a leading health expert has warned.
The new BA.2 subvariant has been detected across Europe and already makes up 45 per cent of all cases in Denmark.
Scientists fear the 'stealth' variant could also be even harder to track than previous strains as it can only be confirmed through lab analysis rather than a PCR test.
University of Melbourne epidemiologist Professor Nancy Baxter said initial data showed BA.2 could be even more infectious than its more common BA.1 ancestor.
'There is a variant they call the "son of Omicron",' she told a clearly worried Today show host Karl Stefanovic on Thursday. 'It's more of a cousin, it's a variant related to Omicron.'
Pedestrians wearing masks walk in front of the Sydney Opera House at Circular Quay on Tuesday. A leading health expert has warned a new, more contagious version of Omicron could be about to land on Australian shores
She said it was unclear if BA.2 would worsen the latest wave of Omicron cases or whether it would even land on Australian shores.
'It looks like, if people can believe it, it could be more contagious than Omicron,' she said.
'So if it gets here, it may extend our waves and they may take a lot longer to get out of. But we don't know enough yet, so stay tuned.'
'That is bad news, for us to hear that again,' Stefanovic replied.
Danish Health Minister Magnus Heunicke on Wednesday said the BA.2 subvariant appeared to be more contagious than the original Omicron variant.
The BA.1 lineage accounts for 98 per cent of all cases globally but in Denmark has been pushed aside by BA.2, which became the dominant strain in the second week of January.
The United Kingdom Health Security Agency
