Maharashtra reports first cases of BA.4, BA.5 subvariants of Omicron in Pune

Maharashtra on Saturday reported its first cases of the Covid-19 infection with BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants of the Omicron strain of the virus in at least seven cases in Pune.

According to the state health department’s report on whole genomic sequencing, four patients of BA.4 variants and three patients of BA.5 variants were detected in Pune.

Dr Pradeep Vyas, additional chief secretary, public health department, told reporters, “We have asked district administrations to increase testing, be alert for atypical presentations or cluster of cases.”

India had detected the first possible cases of BA.4 variant in Hyderabad earlier this month in samples taken from a traveller from South Africa, people involved in the genome surveillance said.

The Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) had also confirmed the detection of cases with BA.4 and BA.5 variants in Tamil Nadu and Telangana.

Officials, however said that it does not yet pose a concern since it is an offshoot of the Omicron variant, which has already spread widely in the country and has had a less severe impact than the Delta variant of the virus that had wreaked havoc across the country last year.

Are BA.4 and BA.5 cause of concern?

BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants of Omicron were first detected in South Africa. The BA.4 variant was first detected from a specimen collected on January 10, 2022 in Limpopo, South Africa, and BA.5 was first detected on February 25, in KwaZulu-Natal.

While both are sub-lineages of the Omicron variant, the two new VOCs have more in common with the BA.2 lineage than BA.1, which was more widespread in South Africa.

Experts said high transmissibility should not worry as much as higher hospitalisation rates and deaths.