Even as shooting cases of ‘Stealth Omicron’ (BA.2) in China send waves of concern for a fourth Covid-19 wave in neighbouring countries like India, newer Covid variants and sub-variants are being reported from Israel. The new strain is a subvariant of Omicron, which was first detected in South Africa last year before cropping up in several parts of the world including India where it drove the third wave.
Now, amid warnings about newer, more potent variants that could lead to an imaginable fourth wave, scientists have discovered a new subvariant of Omicron in Israel.
The subvariant is reportedly a mix of the BA. 1 and BA2 subvariants. Omicron. Although the variant has not yet been named, the phenomenon of mixing two variants or subvariants was already observed when Delta and Omicron combined to create a subvariant. Cases of Florona, which is a mixture of the Covid-19 virus and influenza, were also reported during the first time in Israel.
Israel is so far the only country to have reported the new subvariant. On Tuesday, the Israeli government showed at least two cases of other people inflamed with the new subvariant. According to data from the Israeli TV channel Kan, so far there has been no spread of the virus online. The two angry people were found at Ben Gurion Airport, according to Israeli government officials.
According to a report by the Times of Israel, immunologist Cyril Cohen said the variant most likely arrived from Europe, as Tel Avid is a communication route for European travelers.
No, the variant found in Israel is not ‘Stealth’ Omicron. The latter is the name used to refer to BA.2 while the new sub-variant is a combination of both BA.1 and BA2.
Although an insufficient number of cases have still been reported, the Israeli government said other people had mild symptoms that did not require any special medical reaction. However, symptoms such as muscular dystrophy, headache, and fever have been reported.