Omicron Sub Variants

More than 1,300 samples of Omicron sub-variant XBB2.3 have been detected in India, while XBB.1.16 has become the dominant strain in the country, according to INSACOG data.

Omicron and its sub-lineages continue to be the dominant coronavirus variants in India, Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar told the Lok Sabha on Friday.

With India reporting a highly infectious new COVID-19 variant, World Health Organization Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan on Friday said that there were over 300 sub-variants and XBB being a recombinant virus is a matter of concern.

At least 18 cases of XBB sub-variant of Omicron have been reported in Maharashtra in the first fortnight of October, the state health department said today.

A new sub-variant of Covid's Omicron variant was detected in New Delhi, according to an official on Wednesday.

Out of 279 swab samples tested during the 12th genome sequencing series in Mumbai, 278 were found infected with Omicron sub-variants of coronavirus and 1 with the Delta strain, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said on Monday.

The BA.2 and BA.2.12.1 together accounted for an estimated 93 per cent of new COVID-19 cases last week in the US, according to CDC.

WHO technical lead Maria Van Kerkhove also warned that Omicron is not mild but less severe than Delta.

The omicron coronavirus sub-variant known as BA.2 has been found across Africa and countries should sequence more coronavirus samples so the extent of its spread can be determined, the World Health Organization said.

"Hybrid immunity is the strongest immunity we can have at the moment - Hybrid is when one has been infected with Omicron and has also got the vaccine doses," she said.

Cases of the SARS-CoV-2 variant Omicron have escalated globally over the past two months, with many countries experiencing peaks higher than previous variants.

More than 1,300 samples of Omicron sub-variant XBB2.3 have been detected in India, while XBB.1.16 has become the dominant strain in the country, according to INSACOG data.

Omicron and its sub-lineages continue to be the dominant coronavirus variants in India, Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar told the Lok Sabha on Friday.

With India reporting a highly infectious new COVID-19 variant, World Health Organization Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan on Friday said that there were over 300 sub-variants and XBB being a recombinant virus is a matter of concern.

At least 18 cases of XBB sub-variant of Omicron have been reported in Maharashtra in the first fortnight of October, the state health department said today.

A new sub-variant of Covid's Omicron variant was detected in New Delhi, according to an official on Wednesday.

Out of 279 swab samples tested during the 12th genome sequencing series in Mumbai, 278 were found infected with Omicron sub-variants of coronavirus and 1 with the Delta strain, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said on Monday.

The BA.2 and BA.2.12.1 together accounted for an estimated 93 per cent of new COVID-19 cases last week in the US, according to CDC.

WHO technical lead Maria Van Kerkhove also warned that Omicron is not mild but less severe than Delta.

The omicron coronavirus sub-variant known as BA.2 has been found across Africa and countries should sequence more coronavirus samples so the extent of its spread can be determined, the World Health Organization said.

"Hybrid immunity is the strongest immunity we can have at the moment - Hybrid is when one has been infected with Omicron and has also got the vaccine doses," she said.

Cases of the SARS-CoV-2 variant Omicron have escalated globally over the past two months, with many countries experiencing peaks higher than previous variants.