WHO: ‘No Indication’ New Omicron Variant More Severe Than Original

People stop outside a COVID-19 testing site in New York City on Jan. 10, 2022. Scott Heins/Getty Images

Officials with the World Health Organization (WHO) say there’s no indication that the COVID-19 Omicron subvariant BA.2 is more severe than Omicron’s original strain.

“There’s no indication that there’s a change in severity,” Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO technical lead for the CCP virus, said during a news briefing on Feb. 1.