https://www.mercurynews.com/2022/02/03/covid-stealth-omicron-is-spreading-but-not-so-fast/ > The new cousin of the super-contagious omicron variant of the virus that causes COVID-19 hasn’t spread as fast as health officials had feared, raising hopes it won’t extend the devastating case surge that has filled hospital wards this winter. > The sub-lineage of the omicron variant known as BA.2 has been dubbed “stealth omicron” because it is harder to detect, and its rapid spread in other countries has worried health officials that it could overtake the dominant omicron strain and perhaps prove more virulent or vaccine resistant.