Omicron BA.2 lineage spreads in clusters and is concentrated in Denmark

The Omicron variant has recently become a dominant variant globally with four lineages such as BA.1, BA.2, BA.3, and B.1.1.529. But little is known about which parts of the world the BA.2 lineage dominates. Here we find out that BA.2 has its central cluster of infection installed in Denmark. It should be noted that 79.4%% of the total BA.2 sequences belong to Denmark (as of January 18, 2022). The BA.2 lineage phylogenetically consists of five groups: Sweden/Denmark, Philippines, Hong Kong, India, and China. The ORF3a protein of BA.2, which is spreading in Denmark, contains a specific mutation called H78Y, and this mutation is not widely found in other countries. The Philippines, Hong Kong, India, and China groups of BA.2 also have their own unique mutations. A future experimental study is warranted to understand the significance of these mutations to reveal why this lineage is widely spreading in Denmark, which we hope will help design antiviral and antibodies to control the spread of BA.2 lineage in Denmark and other countries. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.