New Omicron sub-variants BF.7 and BA.5.1.7, which are highly infectious with greater transmissibility have been detected in China, in the latest COVID flare-up, which comes just ahead of the 20th Party Congress. BF.7 subvariant spread to more Chinese provinces on Monday. The highly infectious virus was firstly detected in northwest China. On the […]
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Covid very much around us, rapid change in Omicron sublineage circulating: Top expert
Dr NK Arora, Chairman of the COVID working group, National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI), on Wednesday said that COVID-19 is still around us and quite a significant transmission of viruses is going on. In an exclusive interview with ANI Dr NK Arora Chairperson COVID working group, NTAGI said, […]
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Omicron, sub-lineages circulating predominantly in India: Sources
The Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG), in a weekly meeting, reviewed the data of genomic surveillance of variants and found that at present, Omicron and its sub-lineages are the predominant mutataions that are circulating in India. “Presently, only Omicron and its sub-lineages are the predominant circulating variants in India,” sources […]
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WHO: New Covid Omicron sub-variant found in India
A new sub-variant BA.2.75 of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 has been detected in various countries including India, World Health Organisation Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. Ghebreyesus said that the world body was following the development. “On COVID-19, globally reported cases have increased nearly 30 percent over the past two weeks. Four out of […]
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New Zealand detects Omicron subvariant BA.2.75 for first time
The Omicron subvariant BA.2.75 has been detected in New Zealand for the first time as the country recorded 9,629 new community cases of COVID-19 and 24 more deaths, the Ministry of Health said on Tuesday. Analysis of whole-genome sequencing has confirmed two cases in New Zealand with BA.2.75. Before testing positive for COVID-19, […]
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Covaxin booster shot enhances efficacy against Delta, Omicron variants of Covid-19: Study
A study showed that administration of Covaxin booster dose will enhance the vaccine effectiveness against the Delta variant infection and give protection against two Omicron variants of COVID-19. The study by ‘bioRxiv’, an open-access preprint repository for the biological sciences, shared on Tuesday that its study shows that administration of […]
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Russian Health Watchdog Detects Omicron Subvariant BA.4 in Population
A more contagious subvariant of the COVID-19 Omicron strain has slipped into Russia, a senior official at the national consumer health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor said. Kamil Khafizov, the head of genome research at Rospotrebnadzor’s Central Research Institute for Epidemiology, told reporters that two national labs had submitted the viral genome of the BA.4 sublineage […]
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Philippines detects 2 cases of Omicron sub-variant BA.5
The Philippines has detected COVID-19 Omicron sub-variant BA.5 from two people in the same household in a province north of the capital, an official from the Philippine Department of Health (DOH) said on Friday. Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said that the BA.5 was detected on May 15 from the samples of two fully vaccinated individuals […]
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Covid-19: Possibility of new variants of Omicron in Delhi
With the latest spike of more than 1000 COVID-19 cases in the national capital in a single day, the health experts believed that possibilities of new variants of the Omicron are emerging and they are being sequenced. Delhi on Wednesday reported 1,009 fresh cases, the highest since February 10, while […]
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Omicron BA.2 will not cause another Covid-19 surge, says expert
As India reports a high number of Omicron BA.2 cases, a top Health Expert has said it is not a cause of concern because it will not lead to another COVID-19 surge in the country. Co-Chairman National IMA COVID Task Force Dr Rajeev Jayadevan said that BA.2 is a sub-lineage […]
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Omicron variant lung damage ‘milder than Delta in animals’: Study
Studies conducted by a group of international researchers on Monday said that the COVID-19 variant Omicron causes less severe symptoms in the lungs of hamsters than the Delta variant. The researchers examined differences in symptoms in hamsters separately infected with the Omicron and the Delta variants, reported NHK World. They said that, three days after becoming infected, the hamsters with the Omicron variant had […]
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Anti-Covid pills work well against Omicron, antibody drugs less effective: Study
A new study has found the drugs behind the new pills to treat COVID-19 remain very effective against the Omicron variant of the virus in lab tests. The research has been published in the ‘New England Journal of Medicine’. However, lab tests also showed that the available antibody therapies — […]
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Omicron generated antibodies effective against all variants of concern in adolescents, adults: ICMR study
The latest study conducted by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) shows that antibodies generated by Omicron, a COVID-19 strain, are not only effective against it but also other variants of concern (VOCs) including Delta. “The individuals infected with Omicron have significant immune response which could neutralize not only the […]
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India’s first homegrown mRNA vaccine to be tested amid Omicron spike: Official sources
The country’s first messenger mRNA vaccine is expected to begin trials on humans in February. The Pune-based Gennova Biopharmaceuticals has submitted phase 2 data of mRNA vaccine and has also completed the recruitment of phase 3 data. Drugs Controller General of India’s (DCGI) Subject Expert Committee (SEC) is expected to […]
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Beijing reports first local Omicron case: Report
Weeks ahead of the Winter Olympics, China’s capital Beijing has reported its first locally transmitted infection of Omicron variant, local media reported on Sunday. Global Times reported citing Beijing authorities that they have confirmed that a new local COVID-19 case reported on Saturday belongs to the Omicron strain. According to an official statement, the patient […]