Omicron subvariant BA.4 found in Tamil Nadu, says state health minister

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New Delhi: After India’s first infection of Omicron subvariant BA.4 was confirmed in Telangana’s Hyderabad, Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian on Saturday (May 21) said that one case of the subvariant has been detected near the capital Chennai, ANI reported. Speaking to mediapersons, the Tamil Nadu Health Minister said, "One case of BA.4, a sub-variant of Omicron, has been recorded in Chengalpattu district near Chennai." He further informed that the BA.4 subvariant was reported in a family, where two individuals tested positive for the coronavirus. The 19-year-old daughter, who tested Covid-19 positive on May 9 and was apparently infected with BA.4 subvariant, the minister said. 

"The family, where the case was reported has two COVID-19 positive cases. The mother and her daughter got tested positive for COVID on May 4. They don`t have any travel history. Both are vaccinated with two doses in the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive. Their contact has been traced and tested,” the Health Minister said, adding that both the patients are keeping well. 

On May 15, the samples of the 19-year-old girl and her mother were sent to the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) for whole-genome sequencing, where it was discovered the mother was infected with BA.2 sub-lineage of the Omicron variant and the daughter had BA.4 variant, IANS reported. 

"This is a clear reminder to continue the focus on eligible people getting completely vaccinated and the need to continue to follow Covid appropriate behaviour in crowded areas,” Minister Ma Subramanian told IANS. 

As per ANI report on Friday, the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) detected the country’s first case of BA.4 subvariant in Hyderabad. The patient had travelled from South Africa to the Telangana capital. 

The BA.4 and BA.5 variants of Omicron have been detected during the fifth Covid-19 wave in South Africa and have also been reported in the US and Europe. 

(With agency inputs)