Maharashtra: 17 more patients of BA.5 and 6 of BA.4 sub-variant of Omicron detected, tally rises to 49

17 more patients of BA.5 and six of BA.4 sub-variant of Omicron were detected in Maharashtra, as per the report from the Kasturba Hospital Central Laboratory, Mumbai on Saturday.

Kasturba Hospital Central Laboratory has tested 364 samples and barring one, all have been of Omicron variant. BA.2 and BA.238 have been found most prevalent (325/364: 89%), said the health department bulletin.

All these samples were collected during the 1st to 18th June 2022. According to the report, one patient is below 18 years of age, two are from 18-25 age group, nine from 26-50, and 11 are above 50 years of age. Out of these, 11 are men and 12 are women, the report added.

With this, the total tally of BA.4 and BA.5 variant cases found in state have gone up to 49. Pune has reported 15 cases so far followed by Mumbai 28, Nagpur 4 and Thane 3.

Earlier, Maharashtra had reported its first cases of the COVID-19 infection with BA.4 and BA.5 sub-variants of the Omicron strain of the virus in at least seven cases in Pune.

India had reported the first case of BA.4 sub-variant from Hyderabad earlier and later the Indian SARS-CoV2 Genomics Consortium had confirmed the detection of cases with BA.4 and BA.5 sub-variants in Tamil Nadu and Telangana.

Published on: Saturday, June 25, 2022, 08:03 PM IST