COVID 19: INSACOG confirms first case of BA.4, BA.5 Omicron subvariants in India

New Delhi: First case of BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants of Omicron variant of COVID-19 have been found in Tamil Nadu and Telangana respectively, confirmed the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) on Sunday.

“A 19 years old female in Tamil Nadu has been found infected with the BA.4 variant of SARS - CoV - 2. The patient has shown only mild clinical symptoms and has been fully vaccinated. The patient had no travel history. Before this, a South African traveler was reported positive for the BA.4 variant on arrival at Hyderabad airport,” said a statement issued by INSACOG.

As per the statement, an 80-year-old male in Telangana has tested positive for the BA.5 variant SARS - CoV - 2. The patient has shown only mild clinical symptoms and has been fully vaccinated. The patient had no travel history, it said.

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“Contact tracing of the BA.4. and BA.5 patients is being undertaken as a precautionary measure,” the statement added.

BA.4 and BA.5 are subvariants of the Omicron variant circulating globally. These were reported first from South Africa earlier this year and are now reported from several other countries. These variants have not been associated with disease severity or increased hospitalization.

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