Omicron BA. 4 and BA. 5 both originated, as did the original version of Omicron, in South Africa. From there they arrived in Europe and the UK and quickly caused case numbers to skyrocket.
Once established, it quickly became clear BA. 5 was the dominant of the two subvariants and quickly established a viral foothold alongside the other subvariant BA.
2. With no restrictions and mass-mixing, COVID-19 went viral with record case numbers and around one in 17 people testing positive for the virus.
As scientists and doctors learnt more about BA. 5, they realised it was changing what symptoms people presented with; a sore throat soon joined the continuous cough and fatigue as signs to look out for. READ MORE: Paul Newman: Risk factors of the 'horrible' disease that killed actorHowever, unlike earlier Covid variants, the illness BA.