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05 JUL 2022
Newer iterations of the Omicron variant, BA.4 and BA.5 are spreading rapidly and poised to outcompete past versions of the virus, extending the current COVID-19 surge. Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 were first identified in South Africa in January and February 2022, respectively. Limited data indicate that the newer subvariants caused fewer hospitalisations and deaths compared to previous ones. As part of the countrywide COVID-19 testing network, icddr,b has been testing COVID-19 patients and monitoring SARS-CoV-2 variants.Â
The key findings are:
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Figure 1: Weekly distribution of circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants in Dhaka city from 1 Jan 2021 to 24 June 2022. The bar graph (Y-axis) indicates the % of variants identified, and numbers are printed inside.
This report illustrates how SARS-CoV-2 variants are outcompeted one by another over time, which underscores the continuation of variant surveillance for a regular update on the emergence of new variants.
Clinical data and vaccination history were available for 40 Omicron BA.5 infected patients. The findings are given below.
Overall, the severity of the disease caused by Omicron BA.5 subvariant among our study population is low. However, the recent countrywide upsurge of COVID-19 cases as well as hospitalisation warrants continuation of public health and social measures to minimize the transmission of the virus.
Therefore, everyone should practice the following precautions to keep safe from COVID-19