Centaurus: Omicron’s BA.2.75 subvariant detected in Delhi, know how dangerous it is from the previous variants

The Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan (LNJP) Hospital reported that BA 2.75, a new Omicron sub-variant, was found in the majority of samples taken from the most of Covid-19 patients in Delhi. The samples were sent for genome sequencing and analysis this week, according to a senior hospital official quoted by news agency PTI on Thursday.

Omicron's new subvariant BA 2.75

Dr Suresh Kumar, Medical Director, LNJP Hospital said, "Omicron's sub-variant BA 2.75 has been found in the report. It has more transmission rate. This has emerged in the study report of 90 samples sent for genome sequencing. This new sub-variant also attacks people already having antibodies and also those who have taken vaccines".

This Omicron variant is spreading faster and likely escaping immunity from previous infection and vaccination, Dr Kumar added.

BA.2.75 variant with major immune escape

The BA-2.75 variation, which is also known as "Centaurus," has not yet received an official name. According to health specialists, BA.2.75 appears to be spreading slowly at the moment, but this speed may grow. Earlier, this kind of variant was also observed in certain European nations.

According to the chief scientist of the World Health Organization, Soumya Swaminathan, BA.2.75 may have a significant immunological escape, which implies it has mutations that are simple for the immune system to exploit. This capability may be the cause of the fast rising infection rate in humans.

How dangerous it is compared to BA.5?

Compared to BA.5 and the original BA.2, the BA-2.75 variant had higher effective reproduction numbers . Concern is also rising that it could soon surpass BA.5 to become the variant with the greatest infectious potential. In comparison to BA.2 and BA.4/5, the S protein has four mutations. These mutations increase its ability to spread quickly among humans. Research is being done to understand this sub-characteristics variant's so that its infection rate can be better understood.

Between August 1 and 10, the national capital saw more than 19,760 cases, according to official data shared by the Delhi health department. Also, there has been a nearly 50 per cent jump in the number of containment zones in the city during this period.

To protect yourself from this sub-variant, you must wear a mask and behave in accordance with COVID guidelines.