South Africa seeing more cases of Omicron sub-variant, monitoring it
Source: Reuters
JOHANNESBURG, Feb 4 (Reuters) - South Africa is seeing more cases of the BA.2 sub-variant of the Omicron coronavirus variant and is monitoring it, but there is no clear sign that BA.2 is substantially different from the original Omicron strain, a senior scientist said on Friday.
Michelle Groome, from the National Institute for Communicable Diseases, showed in a presentation that BA.2 accounted for 23% of the 450 samples from January sequenced by South Africa's genomic surveillance network and the original strain 75%.
Of the 2,243 samples from December that were sequenced, BA.2 accounted for 4% and the original strain 94%.
"We are seeing this increase with the BA.2, we are still trying to get more information on this particular sub-lineage ... and so we are increasing sequencing from those provinces where we are seeing increases (in cases) monitoring the proportion that is due to BA.2," Groome told a news conference.
Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/south-africa-seeing-more-cases-omicron-sub-variant-monitoring-it-2022-02-04/
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