Maharashtra Registers 1st Case of BA.4 and BA.5 Subvariants of Omicron Strain

Maharashtra reported its first case of COVID-19 infection with BA.4 and B.A.5 sub-variants of the Omicron strain on Saturday (May 28). The BA.4 and BA.5 sub variants of the infection were found in at least 7 cases from Pune.

According to the state health department's report on whole genomic sequencing, out of 7 cases from Pune, 4 patients were found with BA.4 variants and the other 3 had BA.5 variants, a Times Now report said.

The Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) earlier confirmed cases with BA.4 and BA.5 variants in Tamil Nadu and Telangana. Notably, India's first possible case of the BA.4 variant was detected in Hyderabad earlier this month.

The BA.4 case was detected in Chennai in a 19-year-old woman with no history of international travel in early May. According to INSACOG, she was fully vaccinated and had reported mild clinical symptoms, the report said.

The other BA.4 case was detected during sampling at the Hyderabad airport in a traveller from South Africa. The BA.5 was detected in an 80-year-old man from Hyderabad with no history of international travel. He was also fully vaccinated against Covid-19 and experienced only mild clinical symptoms.

According to officials, the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants of the Omicron strain of the Coronavirus do not pose a serious threat as of now since the omicron strain itself had less severe of an impact.

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