Malaysia detects first cases of highly infectious Omicron subvariants

 

Malaysia has detected its first cases of Omicron subvariants BA.5 and BA.2.12.1, said Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

Both are Omicron subvariants that have been flagged by the World Health Organization (WHO) as deserving closer scrutiny but has yet to deem it necessary to categorise them as a “variant of concern” and give them a Greek alphabet moniker.

In a Twitter post today, Khairy said Malaysia had just sequenced two BA.5 and one BA.2.12.1 cases.

“This is the first time these variant lineages have been detected. Both are categorised by WHO as VOC-LUM (lineages under monitoring) under the Omicron variant.

“So far, risk factors remain the same,” he said.

According to a weekly WHO report yesterday, Omicron subvariants BA.2.12.1 and BA.5 cases are rising in prevalence around the world, along with the BA.4 subvariant that has yet to be detected in Malaysia.

All three subvariants carried a key mutation that is believed to increase its infectiousness and ability to evade its host’s immune system.

However, it said the available evidence thus far suggests that BA.4 or BA.5 could cause disease of increased severity, while no evidence is available for the severity of a BA.2.12.1 infection.

Last month, the journal Nature noted in a news report that BA.4 and BA.2.12.1 can overcome immunity provided by earlier infections with other Omicron variants.

BA.2.12.1 cases have been rising rapidly in North America and have since been detected in 53 countries as of May 21.

BA.4 and BA.5 were observed spreading rapidly in South Africa during its fifth Covid-19 wave in April, and each has since been detected in more than 40 countries. - Mkini