Apart from the BA.2.75 sub-variant of Omicron, BA.2.74 and BA.2.76 are also believed to be responsible for the increase in Covid-19 cases.
After the lethal Delta variant created havoc last year, another variant of Covid-19 surfaced in early November 2021, the highly transmissible Omicron. With several mutations and substrains, Omicron has become extremely prevalent and most cases in recent past have been associated with this variant.
Omicron's sub-variants, BA.4 and BA.5 have been declared the most dominant in the United States and responsible for the fourth wave in many countries including India. And now another sub-variant of Omicron, BA.2.75 has been detected in India. According to an Israeli health expert, this new variant could be 'alarming' in nature as 10 states in India have detected Omicron BA.2.75.
Read | Covid-19: India has a new Omicron sub-variant, may be alarming, says Israeli expert
Medical experts are of the opinion that this sudden spike in Covid-19 cases is due to the three new sub-variants of Omicron virus BA.2. Out of these three, the BA.2.75 variant needs to be monitored, experts said. It is seen that of late among all the Omicron cases which are now getting registered in the country, the virus is spreading 18% more than the other variants.
Apart from the BA.2.75 sub-variant of Omicron, BA.2.74 and BA.2.76 are also believed to be responsible for the increase in Covid-19 cases. In the last 10 days, 298 cases of BA.2.76, 216 cases of BA.2.74 and 46 cases of BA.2.75 have been identified, TOI quoted an open source database.
BA.2.75 sub-variant is also spreading in the United States, Canada and Japan. Back home, BA.2.75 cases have been reported in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Jammu and Kashmir. So far 10 states have reported BA.2.75 variants including Delhi.
What is BA.2.75 and how is it different?
BA.2.75 is a sub-lineage of the Omicron variant besides BA.4 and BA.5. Sub-lineages of Omicron have become the dominant variants circulating across the globe, with new mutations continuously evolving. Currently, it has been detected in about 10 states in India.
The Indian Health Ministry and the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG), a genomic surveillance organisation, are yet to officially announce or confirm the detection of the sub-variant in the country. While there is not much known about the new sublineage, health experts have raised concerns about the same.
Experts say the BA.2.75 variant includes new mutations in the spike protein, in addition to the mutations that are already present in the Omicron variant. Of the mutations, G446S and R493Q are of particular concern, as it gives the variant the ability to evade several antibodies. This means it can infect people who have been vaccinated, or have been infected previously.
As of now, it seems that BA.2.75 will have antibody escape that is similar to that for BA.4/5 with respect to the current vaccine. Research reveals that the R493Q mutation increases the virus's ability to attach to ACE2, the protein which the Covid-19 virus uses to enter cells.
There are four mutations in the receptor binding domain region, which interacts with the ACE2 receptor in the host. The ACE2 is an enzyme that acts as the receptor for the SARS-CoV-2 virus and allows it to infect host cells.
Precautions to take
Wear face masks when you step outside and maintain social distance.
Follow proper hand hygiene and watch out for any cold-symptoms.
Get all your vaccine doses if you are eligible and take booster shots on time.
If needed, consult your doctor in case your fever or cold is not subsiding.
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