Three cases of a new Omicron mutant that has given the impression in many countries have been detected in Israel, the fitness ministry said on Sunday.
Scientists say the variant, called BA. 2. 75, would possibly spread temporarily and prevent immunity to vaccines and past infections.
It’s unclear whether the new subvariant can cause more severe disease than other Omicron mutations, adding the world-renowned BA. 5.
All three cases were detected in other people returning from abroad. One of them ignited upon returning from India and two others from France, the ministry said.
“The Ministry of Health will continue to monitor the scenario and inform the public accordingly,” he said.
According to the latest data from the Ministry of Health, another 4,357 people tested positive for the virus in Israel on Saturday, with a positive result rate of 36. 71%. Lately there are 435 serious patients. The virus has claimed 11,168 lives in Israel since the beginning of the pandemic.
– Tom Peacock (@PeacockFlu) June 30, 2022
So far, the new variant has gained ground basically in India, where it was first detected in May.
Dubbed “Centaurus,” the new variant has also been detected in other countries, adding the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia and the Netherlands.
“It’s still too early for us to draw too many conclusions,” said Matthew Binnicker, director of clinical virology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. “But it turns out that, especially in India, transmission rates seem to be exponential. “increase. “
It remains to be noted that it will surpass BA. 5, he said.
Still, the fact that it has already been detected in many parts of the world, even with lower levels of viral surveillance “is an early indication that it is spreading,” said Shishi Luo, head of infectious diseases at Helix, a company that supplies viral sequencing. information to the U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. USA
Antoine Flahault, director of the Institute for Global Health at the University of Geneva, told AFP that the spread of BA. 2. 75 in India indicates that it may be more transmissible than the subvariant BA. 5 Omicron, which has caused waves in Europe and the United States. all over the world. WE.
“It turns out to be the dominant strain in India; the question is whether it will be the dominant strain worldwide. “
Flahault added that dominant strains of the past, such as Delta, first took from the country in which they emerged, before spreading around the world.
Meanwhile, a recent Briton found that the last major subvariant BA. 5 Omicron of COVID is more contagious and more resistant to vaccines than previous variants.
Dr. Gregory Poland, head of vaccine studies at the US Mayo Clinic, called the omicron subvariant “hyper-contagious” and said “there is very little coverage against BA. 5 in terms of infection or mild infection to moderate. “
Last week, the European Union said it was “essential” that the government in the 27-nation bloc give a momentary reminder of the coronavirus to other people over the age of 60 to 79 and other vulnerable people, as a new wave of pandemic sweeps across the continent.
In the UN fitness agency’s weekly review of the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Health Organization said there were 5. 7 million new infections last week, marking a 6% increase. There were 9,800 deaths, roughly similar to last week’s figure.
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