India’s First Omicron Sub-variant BA.4 Detected in Hyderabad, INSACOG Confirms

Hyderabad: India’s first case of BA.4 sub-variant of the Omicron strain of Coronavirus was detected in Hyderabad through a genome surveillance programme. ANI report suggests the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) confirmed it. The sub-variant was reportedly detected on May 9 and confirmed on Friday. 

In the wake of confirmation of the BA.4 sub-variant in the country, the INSACOG will likely release a medical bulletin on Monday.

INSACOG has also conducted a meeting and discussed BA.4, and the group of genetic laboratories are currently working to identify new variants.

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"After detecting the first case of BA.4, contact tracing has already been started of those who came in contact with a person who travelled to Hyderabad from South Africa. He was asymptomatic and the sample was collected on May 9," sources added.

It may be recalled that the BA.4 variant was first detected on January 10, 2022, in Limpopo of South Africa. 

According to the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD), in South Africa, the BA.4 and BA.5 differ from one another in mutations that are outside of the spike of the gene, but are identical to each other in terms of spike mutations.