Omicron sub-lineage replacing Delta in some states: Report

As India continues to see a spike in Covid-19 cases, Omicron's three sub-variants are likely replacing the dominant Delta strain in India.

Scientists at Insacog (Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium) working on genome sequencing, told The Times of India that Omicron (B.1.1.529) sub-lineage BA.1 is now circulating widely and replacing the Delta strain in some states, including Maharashtra,

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the Omicron variant (parent lineage B.1.1.529) includes three descendent lineages (BA.1, BA.2 and BA.3). While BA.1 and BA.3 have the 69-70 deletion in the spike protein, BA.2 does not.

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BA.3 has not been detected so far in the country, a scientist told the publication.

First detected in South Africa and Botswana in late November 2021, Omicron has been discovered in more than 100 countries and across all seven continents, as per the open access data sharing platform GISAID.

However, in what could be a matter of concern, the BA.2 lineage does not get registered in the RT-PCR-SGF test. This means isolating it is as an Omicron case from the daily cases will be difficult.

The unique mix of spike amino acid changes in Omicron (clade GRA, lineage B.1.1.529 and descendants BA.1 and BA.2) comprises several that were previously identified to affect receptor binding and antibody escape.

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According to data updated by the Union Health Ministry on Monday, India saw a single-day rise of 1,79,723 coronavirus infections taking the total tally to 3,57,07,727, including 4,033 cases of the Omicron variant reported across 27 states and union territories so far.

Of the total 4,033 cases of Omicron variant, 1,552 have recovered or migrated.

(With agency inputs)

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