BackINSACOG confirms BA.4, BA.5 sub-variants of Omicron in India
INSACOG confirms BA.4, BA.5 sub-variants of Omicron in India
PremiumThe Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG), on Sunday in a press release confirmed the presence of Omicron subvariant BA.4 and BA.5 in India.
The BA.4 and BA.5 are Omicron subvariants circulating globally. Both the BA.4 and BA.5 variants of Omicron have been associated with the fifth Covid wave in South Africa and recently the US and Europe have also reported.
INSACOG is jointly initiated by the Union Health Ministry of Health, and Department of Biotechnology (DBT) with Council for Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
India's first case of BA.4 subvariant of the Omicron strain of coronavirus was detected in Hyderabad through a genomic surveillance program
The INSACOG press release gave details of the cases detected in India.
It mentioned that a 19 year old girl from Tamil Nadu was found infected with the BA.4 variant of the SARS-CoV-2.
“The patient has shown only mild clinical symptoms and has been fully vaccinated. The patient had no travel history." the release further confirmed.
The consortium also informed that a traveler to South Africa has tested positive for the BA.4 sub-variant of Omicron as well. “A south African traveler was reported positive for the BA.4 variant on arrival at Hyderabad airport".
See the INSACOG update here
Further INSACOG also informed that an 80 year old male in Telangana had tested positive for the BA.% sub variant of Omicron. “The patient has shown only mild clinical symptoms and has been fully vaccinated. The patient had no travel history" the release said.
The agency has also started contact tracing of the BA.4 and BA.5 patients as a precautionary measure.
India on Sunday logged 2,226 new coronavirus infections taking the total tally of Covid-19 cases to 4,31,36,371, while the active cases dipped to 14,955, according to the Union Health Ministry data .
Cases of the BA.4 sub variant were first reported in South Africa on 10 January, 2022, now making up 35% of positive tests.. BA.5 was identified on 25 February, and now accounts for 20% of cases in several South African regions.
BA.4 and BA.5 have been identified in several countries in addition to South Africa. According to a report from the U.K. Health Security Agency (UKHSA), with data up to April 22, BA.4 was present in Austria, the U.K., the U.S., Denmark, Belgium, Israel, Germany, Italy, Canada, France, the Netherlands, Australia, Switzerland, and Botswana.
On the same date, health authorities had identified BA.5 in Portugal, Germany, the U.K., the U.S., Denmark, France, Austria, Belgium, Hong Kong, Australia, Canada, Israel, Norway, Pakistan, Spain, and Switzerland.
Few countries are sequencing large numbers of positive tests, despite the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) stating Trusted Source on 4 May that “testing and sequencing remain absolutely critical."
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