‘Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 gaining ground in Maharashtra’
PUNE Two months after Maharashtra first reported BA
PUNE Two months after Maharashtra first reported BA.4 and BA.5 cases, these subvariants of Omicron, according to experts, have become more prevalent, but if they have established complete dominance in the state will be decided only after genome sequencing of samples.
Speaking about the fresh cases of variants, Indian Sars-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) scientist Dr Rajesh Karyakarte, involved in genome sequencing work in Maharashtra, said that earlier the BA.2 and BA.2.38 subvariants in samples were as much as 20 to 30 per cent although their occurrence has reduced while BA.4 and BA.5 occurrence have increased to 20 per cent of samples sequenced.
“Earlier, the samples of BA.2.38 were at least 20 to 30 per cent. But now the prevalence has reduced to almost 10 to 20 per cent. Along with this, the prevalence of BA.4 and BA.5 has increased to 10 to 20 per cent. We should keep the vigil up to get more insights about the prevalence of these strains by doing more genome sequencing Especially with BA.5 strain, we should keep analysing more samples to take more information,” said Dr Karyakarte.
On Sunday, Maharashtra reported one new patient of BA.4 and 18 new cases of BA.5 subvariants. This has taken the total tally of BA.4 and BA.5 cases to 132. Experts note that the circulation of the previously dominant strain of BA.2 and BA.2.38 is now less. Along with BA.4 and BA.5 variants, 17 patients have been found with BA.2.75 variants who are all from Pune.
A study published in the latest edition of “Nature” states that BA.5 Omicron subvariant, now the dominant Covid-19 strain in India and other parts of the world, is four times more resistant to Covid-19 vaccines.
Experts from Pune including Dr Karyakarte, a scientist associated with the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Consortium on Genomics (INSACOG), said, the BA.5 variant has shown to be evading immunity as in all the patients, except children, having taken both doses of the vaccine but were fully stable and required to be home isolated.
On June 14, the state health department noted that in the whole genome sequencing it can be seen in recent samples across Maharashtra that BA.2 variant is the most prominent variant followed by BA.2.38.
On Sunday, 2186 fresh Covid cases were reported in the state and three infection-related deaths. The case fatality rate in Maharashtra is 1.84%.
Dr Pradeep Awate, state surveillance officer, said that according to the latest report from the BJ Medical College, Pune, one patient of BA.4 and 18 of BA.5 have been found in the state on Sunday.
“In addition, 17 patients from Pune have been found with the BA.2.75 variant. All these samples were tested at the INSACOG labs of Pune and Mumbai. These samples were collected between June 25 and July 4. A detailed epidemiological investigation of these cases is currently underway. This has taken the tally of BA.4 and BA.5 patients to 132 and that of BA.2.75 patients to 57 in Maharashtra,” said Dr Awate.
Health department officials noted that the BA.4 and BA.5 patients from Pune are now 84, and 33 patients from Mumbai. Four patients each from Nagpur, Palghar and Thane and three from Raigad.
There are 37 patients from Pune of BA.2.75, 14 from Nagpur, 4 from Akola and one each from Thane and Yavatmal.
The weekly positivity of the district is also on the higher side as compared to the state. Pune district reported a weekly positivity rate of 28.49 per cent which was also the highest across Maharashtra. The weekly positivity rate of Maharashtra till July 13 was 7.45 per cent.
