23 new cases of Omicron sub-variants BA.4, BA.5 in Maharashtra, total at 49

Maharashtra on Saturday reported 23 cases of COVID-19 caused by sub-variants BA.4 and BA.5, taking the tally of such patients to 49, a state health department official said.

As per the report of the Mumbai-based Kasturba Hospital Central Laboratory, which has been evaluated by the National Institute of Virology in Pune, the 23 cases comprise 17 infections caused by BA.5 and six by BA.4. It said one patient was below 18 years of age, two are in the 18-25 segment, nine are in between 26 and 50 years and 11 patients are 50-plus.

Of the 23 patients, 12 are women and the rest men, the report added.

The report informed that of the 49 samples, 28 are in Mumbai, 15 in Pune, four in Nagpur and two in Thane.

The Kasturba laboratory has tested 364 samples, which were collected between June 1 and 18 and barring one, all have been of the Omicron variant, while BA.2 and BA.238 have been found in 325 samples, a state health department bulletin said.