Just In
- 43 min ago Summer Fashion: 6 Tips For Embracing Layering Styles To Keep It Cool And Stylish
- 54 min ago 7 Best Family-Friendly Tours In Iceland: Comfortable Packages For All Ages
- 4 hrs ago Chaitra Navratri 2024 Day 9: Maa Siddhidatri Puja Vidhi, Vrat Katha, Mantra, And Aarti Lyrics
- 4 hrs ago Exclusive: Expert Shares Impact of Heat Waves on Infectious Disease Transmission
Don't Miss
- Sports Angry Rantman No More: Kolkata-Based YouTuber Abhradeep Saha Dies at 27 from Multiple Organ Failure
- Technology Realme NARZO 70x 5G With 45W Charging Confirmed to Launch on April 24 Under Rs 12,000
- News Tamil Nadu Elections: No Voter Card? No Problem! Here's How You Can Vote
- Finance India Delays Paytm's Investment Approval Over Chinese Ownership Concerns
- Movies Abhradeep Saha Death: YouTuber Angry Rantman’s Last Instagram & YouTube Posts Go Viral After His Demise
- Education Schools in Odisha to remain closed from April 18 to 20 due to heatwave
- Automobiles Traffic Incoming! Hebbal Flyover's Up-Ramp In Bengaluru Closed To Vehicles Except Two-Wheelers
- Travel From Coconut Breaking on Head to Men Dressing as Women: 12 Unique Indian Rituals Explored
More Contagious Subvariant Of Omicron Detected In Russia: What You Need To Know
According to data released by the Union Health Ministry at 8 am Sunday, India reported 8,582 cases of COVID-19. In the last 24 hours, 4,435 patients have recovered from COVID-19, leaving 44,513 patients with active infections in the United States.
Despite an increase in COVID-19 cases reported by health officials recently, there should not be cause for concern, they said on Saturday, noting that no new variants have been found. In addition, the increase is limited to a few districts. However, the report also pointed out the non-adherence to Covid-appropriate behaviour and people's disinterest in getting a booster dose, which may have contributed to the expansion of the population susceptible to infection.
One source indicated that 17 districts, including seven in Kerala and five in Mizoram, have a weekly positivity rate of over 10 per cent, while in 24 districts, including seven in Kerala and four each in Maharashtra and Mizoram, the positivity rate is between five and 10 per cent [1][2].
More Contagious Subvariant Of Omicron Detected In Russia
- In Russia, a subvariant of the COVID-19 Omicron strain that is more contagious has been found, a senior official at the national consumer health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor has said [3].
- The TASS news agency reports that the BA.4 sublineage of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant has been detected in Russia.
- Kamil Khafizov, head of genome research at Rospotrebnadzor's Central Research Institute for Epidemiology, told reporters that two national laboratories had submitted the viral genome of the BA.4 sublineage to the VGARus database.
- Currently, the BA.2 variant and its sub-variants are dominant in Russia, accounting for approximately 95 per cent of all new cases. Studies have shown that BA.4 and BA.5 are a little bit more transmissible than the early forms of Omicron.
- Due to good herd immunity acquired through vaccination and previous waves of the novel Coronavirus, no new Omicron sub-variants are currently 'spreading' in Russia.
- The BA.4 variant was first detected in a specimen collected in South Africa on 10 January 2022. The BA.4 strain shares many of the same mutations as the original Omicron strain but has more in common with the BA.2 strain. It possesses additional mutations, some of which could change its characteristics [4].
- In South Africa, scientists found that sublineage of the Omicron coronavirus variant could evade antibodies from earlier infections well enough to cause a new outbreak [5].
- In India, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana have reported cases of BA.4. However, these variants are not associated with disease severity or increased hospitalization [6].
- The Director-General of the World Health Organization warned in May that the Omicron subvariant BA.4 and BA.5 were causing a rise in the disease in unvaccinated countries and that the BA.2 subvariant was still dominant globally.
Why Does The Omicron Sub-Variant Spread Faster Than The Original?
Research on COVID-19 is concentrating on understanding why a relative of the main Omicron variant is replacing it in various countries. According to a laboratory study of BA.2, its rapid rise may result from being more transmissible than BA.1. Other preliminary studies indicate that BA.2 can overcome immunity from vaccination and previous infection with earlier variants. However, it is not much superior to BA.1.
The steady increase in the prevalence of BA.2 in multiple countries suggests that it has an advantage over other circulating variants in terms of growth [7][8].
Scientists believe that a significant reason why Omicron quickly replaced Delta is its ability to infect and spread among people who previously had been immune to Delta. This is one possibility for BA. 2's rise due to its superior capabilities when compared to other variants.
On A Final Note...
The Union Health Ministry is closely monitoring the situation in states such as Maharashtra, Kerala, Delhi and Karnataka, following the five-point strategy and expanding testing. Furthermore, the ministry has asked the states to monitor clusters of new Covid cases and follow Covid-appropriate behaviour.
- pregnancy parentingMysterious Pneumonia Outbreak In China: What Are The Long-Term Effects Of Pneumonia In Children?
- healthCan You Get Back COVID-Related Loss Of Sense Of Smell And Taste (Parosmia)? Looks Like You Can!
- healthDid Covid-10 Vaccination Increase Risk Of Sudden Deaths In Young Adults? ICMR Finds This..
- wellnessDelhi Air Pollution, Air Quality Very Poor: Do Covid Masks Help Reduce Pollution Side Effects?
- healthNobel Prize 2023: Scientists Behind The COVID-19 mRNA Vaccines Wins
- healthWhat Is Disease X? 20 Times More Deadlier Than Covid 19; Can Cause 50 Million Deaths, Does It Have Vaccine?
- healthCOVID-19 Vaccines and Heart Attacks: New Studies Show Different Results; What Are They?
- healthDo You Pick Your Nose? Stop! It Can Increase COVID Risk
- healthEris Variant: WHO Alarms New Covid Wave; Should India Be Concerned About This Pandemic
- healthVitamin D Deficiency Linked With Increased Risk Of Long COVID
- healthCOVID Surge In India: Do You Need A COVID-19 Booster Shot?
- healthCOVID-19: IMA Cites 3 Reasons Behind Recent Surge In Covid-19 Cases: What Are They?