Four Cases of B.A. 4 COVID Subvariant, Three Cases B.A. 5 Variant Detected in Maharashtra For First Time

As per the reports, 4 patients of B.A. 4 variants and 3 patients of B.A. 5 variants were found in Pune.

Written by: India.com News Desk Edited by: Manmath Nayak

Updated: May 28, 2022, 7:25 PM IST

Share

Share Article

• Facebook
• WhatsApp
• X
• Email
• Telegram
• Linkedin

https://www.india.com/maharashtra/breaking-maharashtra-reports-first-cases-of-covid-subvariant-b-a-4-and-b-a-5-in-pune-5418710/ Copy

BREAKING: Mask Mandates Return in Crowded Places Across India Amid Rising COVID Cases in China

Mumbai: Maharashtra on Saturday recorded the first cases of covid subvariant B.A. 4 and B.A. 5 in Pune. The results came out after Whole Genomic Sequencing was done by the Institute of Science Education and Research. As per the reports, 4 patients of B.A. 4 variants and 3 patients of B.A. 5 variants in were found in Pune. However, all of them had only mild symptoms and were treated at home.

It must be noted that these COVID subvariants were first detected in April in some parts of the world including South Africa, but until now no cases had been detected in the state.

Giving details to news agency PTI, one official said the whole genome sequencing was conducted by the Institute of Science Education and Research, and its finding has been confirmed by the Indian Biological Data Centre in Faridabad.

“As many as seven patients, all from Pune, were detected with the infection of the sub-lineage of Omicron,” the official said.

He said that four patients have the infection of B.A. 4 variant while others have contracted the B.A. 5. “Four of them are men and three women. Four patients are above 50 years of age while two are in 20-40 age group while one patient is a nine-year-old child,” he added.

The official further added that all the six adults have completed both the dosages of vaccine while one has taken the booster shot too. “The child is unvaccinated. All of them had mild symptoms of COVID-19 and were treated successfully in home isolation,” the official said.

The samples of these patients were taken between May 4 and 18. “Two of them had travelled to South Africa and Belgium, while three had travelled to Kerala and Karnataka. The other two patients had no recent travel history,” he said.