Cases of BA4 and BA5 Omicron variants found in India

The World Health Organization (WHO) has been monitoring two sub-variants ba.4 and ba.5 of the most infectious Omicron strain of coronavirus since April. Both are sub-variants of the original BA.1 Omicron variant. The government group INSACOG, which monitors the COVID strain, confirmed the presence of these sub-variants in India on 22 May. Cases have been reported in Tamil Nadu and Telangana. Insacag has said that these sub-variants have not revealed anything like increasing the severity of the disease or the cases of hospitalization. These sub-variants were first detected in South Africa earlier this year. Now it has spread to many countries. Read important things you should know about BA.4 and BA.5 sub-variants.

Rising cases

According to information received from the website of the Gavi Vaccine Alliance, these variants have been detected in many new countries and cases are also increasing. The BA.4 sequence in South Africa has increased from less than 1 percent in January 2022 to more than 35 percent on 29 April 2022, it said. By the end of April, the BA.5 sequence has increased to 20 per cent.

In May, BA.4 and BA.5 cases in South Africa accounted for 69 percent and 45 percent of the world’s cases, respectively. BA.4 has also been found in Austria (7 per cent of global cases), UK (6%), US (5 per cent), Denmark (3 per cent). BA.5 is detected in Germany (22 percent), Portugal (13 percent), the UK (9 percent) and the US (3 percent). It is too early to conclude that this sub-variant may spread more rapidly than existing Omicron variants or may reduce immunity more rapidly after vaccination or infection.

Additional mutations

According to Gavi, ba.4 and ba.5 carry many of the same mutations as the original omechron variant, but have more similarities with ba.2 which is a matter of concern worldwide. Sub-variants can also carry additional mutations.

“Both new variants carry the L452R mutation, which was also previously found in the delta variant and is believed to make the virus more infectious by enhancing the virus’s ability to bind to human trypsin,” it states on the Gavi website. .’ They also have a genetic change called the F486V mutation, where their spike proteins bind to human cells. This allows them to partially evade our immune response.

No signs of serious illness

So far there is no indication that BA.4 or BA.5 causes any new symptoms or more serious disease. However, an institute study in Durban, South Africa showed that the antibodies were not as effective against the sub-variants as they were against the original Omicron strain. This study was done on 39 people who had been cured of the original strain.

It also found that in 15 people who had been vaccinated against COVID-19, antibodies worked better than those with natural immunity created from recovery. Alex Siegel said on Twitter about the study that ba.4/ba.5 can cause discomfort and is sufficient to cause a wave of infection but not likely to cause a more severe disease than the previous wave, especially In people who have been vaccinated.

In South Africa, these sub-variants led to an increase in infections, but the number of hospitalizations and deaths remained low.

• In South Africa, the need for hospitalization has remained low and deaths have been low during the peak of the infection wave.
• Rapid increase in infections in Portugal
• Infection increased in both countries without BA.2 wave

Experts are telling that BA.4 and BA.5 are gradually increasing in BA.2 wave countries.