Current Events > PSA: "Stealth Omicron" is not harder to detect in general.

(+) Yeah! (+)

The only thing "stealth" about it is that, most PCR tests check for multiple genetic sequences, and regular Omicron is missing one of these, therefore a PCR test that detects most but is missing that one is an indication that the case is most likely Omicron (the only other major variant with the same "red flag" is Alpha, which is basically extinct now).

Whereas "stealth Omicron" would register on said tests exactly the same way any other variant, apart from regular-Omicron or Alpha, would. But it still would register as there being a covid case, and - again - Alpha and regular-Omicron are the only variants that have stood out in this way; all others - including the original variant, including Delta - have not.

And it's also worth noting that at this point, you can more or less safely assume that almost every case out there is some kind of Omicron anyway. At least until a new variant shows up. Which most likely won't have any specially-recognizable traits on a PCR test either.