Oklahoma Health Experts Say New COVID Subvariant Is Spreading

Oklahoma health experts said a new subvariant of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 is spreading across the country.

Omicron has made up 96-percent of cases in the U-S., according to health experts.

The other 4-percent of cases are the subvariant B-A-2.

"This BA-2 omicron stealth variant doesn't have that characteristic mutation seen in the original omicron, so it's not readily identified by the standard PCR test," said Dr. Stan Schwartz, WellOK Chief Executive Officer. "It may actually be a sibling-- a sister to the original Omicron and not necessarily a descendant."

Doctor Schwartz said the stealth variant is also much more transmissible than the original variant.