India’s First Case of BA.4 Omicron Variant Detected in Hyderabad

The Indian SARS-CoV-2 Consortium on Genomics (INSACOG) has confirmed that the first case of the BA.4 Omicron variant in India has been reported from Hyderabad.

According to reports, the case was detected through a genomic surveillance program.

INSACOG has also conducted a meeting and discussed the BA.4, the group of genetic laboratories are currently working to identify new variants.

"After detecting the first case of BA.4, the contact tracing has already been started of those who came in contact with a person who travelled to Hyderabad from South Africa. He was asymptomatic and the sample was collected on May 9," sources said.

According to the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD), in South Africa, the BA.4 and BA.5 differ from one another in mutations that are outside of the spike of the gene, but are identical to each other in terms of spike mutations.

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