Tamil Nadu: 12 test positive for Omicron subvariants BA.4, BA.5
Chennai (Tamil Nadu), June 6: As many as 12 people have tested positive for the new subvariants of Covid BA.4 and BA.5 in Tamil Nadu, according to state Health Minister M Subramanian.
The health minister stated that 300 samples were sent to the Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics, Hyderabad of which 12 tested positive for the subvariants.
"Today morning we got info from CDFD that BA.4 and BA5 variants of Covid cases have been detected. So far 4 persons tested BA.4 variant positive while 8 people tested positive for BA.5 variant," he informed on Sunday.
Subramanian further said that all the patients are healthy and are currently under the Health Secretary's observation.
"Union Government officials will announce this information tomorrow. We are also observing the contacts of people who are all tested for new variants of Covid," he added.
Meanwhile, since India has been witnessing cases of Omicron subvariants, Dr Tarun Kumar Sahni, Internal medicine and hyperbaric Oxygen therapist at Indraprastha Apollo hospital, has stated that the BA.4 and BA.5 sublineages are "mild" because they act like other Covid-19 mutants.
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"The sub-variants BA.4 and BA.5 are behaving the same as other mutants of Covid-19 variants. We have observed that it is quite mild. A few months ago, WHO said that BA.4 and BA.5 are variants of concern. The European countries have also recently called it a variant of concern," Dr Kumar said.
He also informed that the variant of concern means a particular mutant that can quickly convert and become more serious and progressive than the other variants.
The health expert also emphasised the importance of following the Covid-19 protocols, which include wearing masks and maintaining social distance.
BA.4 and BA.5 are global subvariants of the Omicron variant. These were initially detected in South Africa earlier this year and have now spread to numerous other countries. These variations have not been linked to increased illness severity or hospitalisation.
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-PTC News
