New Covid-19 variants of Omicron “are more infectious”

Three new Omicron sub variants have the ability to spread Covid-19 faster and infect the lungs… this warning from the World Health Oraganisation, according to Ramathibodi Hospital’s Centre for Medical Genomics.

The World Health Organisation and several scientists across the globe have been keeping track of the three sub-variants, including in the US and South Africa, for some time. BA.4, BA.5, and BA.2.12.1 are all sub-variants of the Omicron strain and ‘could’ cause more serious symptoms.

South African scientists identified both BA.4 and BA.5 last month, and tests revealed that the new variants can infect people who had already had the first Omicron mutation. The number of people hospitalised with the new sub variants in both countries has risen but the number of deaths had not increased.

The higher rate of infections was due to one mutation in the virus spike gene that allowed the virus to lodge into a cell wall of the lungs and create an infection similar to the Delta strain. In some studies, the sub-variants have shown the ability to avoid vaccination protection.

Today’s Covid tally in Thailand was the seventh day below the 10,000 mark (for official PCR test results), as the trend continues downward, although 54 people died in the past 24 hour period from Covid-related disease.

SOURCE: Bangkok Post