Even though India is currently reporting less than 2500 COVID cases daily, the threat of the virus continues to loom as the leading laboratory consortium INSACOG confirmed the presence of the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants of Omicron in the country.
In a press release, the government body formed to carry out genetic mapping to identify the different variants and subvariants of the SARS-CoV-2 stated that they have identified the two cases in the southern states of Tamil Nadu and Telangana,
"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," read the statement.
The BA.5 variant was detected in an 80-year-old male from Telangana who showed mild clinical symptoms and was fully vaccinated. However, the patient had no travel history. To find out whether any more people have been infected by the newer subvariants, each of the governments are carrying out contact tracing of all the people who came in touch with the two patients.
Omicron which originated in South Africa at the end of November 2021 has around five different subvariants. Each of these subvariants have spread across the world and have been the cause of a surge in cases in different countries.