New variant of COVID-19 detected in India

KATHMANDU, June 12: BA.5, a new sub-variant of omicron, has been detected in Pune, Maharashtra, India.

The latest report of whole genome sequencing from B J Medical College, Pune has found a 37-year-old man positive for the BA.5 sub-variant of the Omicron strain of the COVID-19 on Saturday.

It has been learnt that the patient, who arrived from England on May 21, had taken both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine. He was diagnosed with the virus on June 2. 

So far he has mild symptoms, according to Dr Rajesh Karyakarte, state coordinator for genome sequencing.

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.