Covid-19: INSACOG confirms presence of BA.4, BA.5 subvariants of Omicron in India

Central body INSACOG on Sunday confirmed the detection of BA.4 and BA.5 variants of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in India – the first one in Tamil Nadu and other in Telangana. Both are subvariants of the fast-spreading Omicron variant that had led to a massive spread of the virus in the country earlier this year.

Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (), a joint body set up by the Union government, said a 19-year-old woman in Tamil Nadu had been found infected with the BA.4 variant. “The patient has shown only mild clinical symptoms and has been fully vaccinated.”

In Telangana, an 80-year-old man had tested positive for the BA.5 variant. This patient too had shown mild clinical symptoms and had been fully vaccinated. He had no travel history, INSACOG said.

The central health body said contract tracing of the BA.4 and BA.5 patients was being undertaken as a precautionary measure.

Before this, a South African traveller was found infected with the BA.4 variant on arrival at the Hyderabad airport.

INSACOG said the two subvariants of the Omicron variant circulating globally were first reported from South Africa, adding that these strains had not been associated with disease severity or increased hospitalisations.