SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant
Type of the virus first detected in November 2021
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Omicron (B.1.1.529) is a variant of SARS-CoV-2 first reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) by the Network for Genomics Surveillance in South Africa on 24 November 2021. It was first detected in Botswana and has spread to become the predominant variant in circulation around the world. Following the original B.1.1.529 variant, several subvariants of Omicron have emerged including: BA.1, BA.2, BA.3, BA.4, and BA.5. Since October 2022, two subvariants of BA.5 called BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 have emerged.
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India records 441 new Covid-19 cases in 24 hours, no fresh deaths reportedIndia recorded a spike of 441 new Covid-19 infections in a 24-hour period, with an active caseload of 3,238, according to Union health ministry data. No deaths were reported during this period. The..IndiaTimes - Published | |
India reports 609 new Covid cases, six deaths in 24 hoursIndia reported a spike of 609 Covid cases on January 12, with an active caseload of 3,368. The death toll reached 5,33,412, including six new deaths. The rise in cases is attributed to the Omicron..IndiaTimes - Published | |
21 JN.1 variant cases in MumbaiThe JN.1 subvariant of Omicron has become the predominant strain in the state, accounting for nearly all January samples of coronavirus that were sequenced for genetic studies. On Monday, the state..IndiaTimes - Published | |
'Hospitalisations will go up as...': Former WHO chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan on JN.1 sub-variantDr Swaminathan talked about the emergence of the JN.1 variant, a sub-variant of Omicron, expressing hope for mild behaviour but cautioning about increased transmissibilityDNA - Published | |
Omicron subvariant BA.5 more virulent, study in mice findsScientists have used genetically modified mice to study the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariants and found that the BA.5 strain is more virulent due to its ability to rapidly replicate early during..IndiaTimes - Published | |
243 new Covid sub-variants found till now: Health minister Mansukh MandaviyaConcerns about a potential surge in cases due to EG.5, an Omicron variant, have been allayed by Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya. EG.5 is a descendant lineage of XBB.1.9.2. As per WHO, as of..IndiaTimes - Published | |
mRNA booster to fight Omicron at Rs 2,300/doseIndiaTimes - Published | |
436 cases of XBB1.16.1 mutated sub-variant found in India: InsacogAmid rising Covid cases in India, 436 cases of XBB1.16.1 mutated sub-variant have been detected in the country till now, revealed Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (Insacog) data on Monday...IndiaTimes - Published Also reported by •DNA | |
Arcturus variant of XBB.1.16: A new subvariant of Omicron spreading in India raises concernsIndiaTimes - Published | |
New Omicron strain more immune evasive: ExpertsIndiaTimes - Published | |
Covid surge: People need to remain vigilant against new strain, cautions top Health Ministry officialIndia recorded a single-day jump of 3,641 fresh Covid-19 cases as the active caseload rose to 20,219 on Monday. The current surge in the Covid cases could be attributed to the spread of the XBB 1.16..DNA - Published | |
Amid rising cases, health ministry says no increase in rate of hospitalisation or death due to CovidAmid a gradual rise in daily Covid-19 cases, the Union Health Ministry said on Thursday that the XBB.1.16 subvariant of Omicron might be the dominant virus strain in the country but there has been no..IndiaTimes - Published | |
'XBB' Covid-19 variants unlikely to cause new wave, no cause for panic: ExpertsIndia on Monday recorded a single-day rise of 918 new Covid cases in the past 24 hours pushing the active cases to 6,350, according to the Union Health Ministry data.DNA - Published | Covid XBB 1.16 variant cases spike in India: Is new Covid variant life threatening? Know symptomsThe sudden spike in the cases of Covid XBB 1.16 variant has sparked a major fear in those living in India, who are speculating that this new variant might lead to a fresh Covid wave.DNA - Published |
Amid H3N2 flu, daily Covid cases in India cross 800 after 4 months; 76 samples of new XBB.1.16 variant foundFormer AIIMS director Dr Randeep Guleria has said the rise in Covid cases seems to be driven by the XBB 1.16 variant while the influenza cases are because of H3N2.DNA - Published | Covid XBB 1.16 variant might lead new wave in India: Know symptoms, treatment, number of casesWhile the Covid pandemic has slowed down in India, it is likely that a new descendant of the Covid XBB variant might lead to a fresh wave of the virus in the country.DNA - Published |
Covid-19 news: Cases of XBB.1.5 variant driving US surge rise to 26 in India, says INSACOGCovid: The cases of XBB.1.5 variant have been found across 11 states and Union territories till now.DNA - Published | All Omicron variants in air, but no rise in mortality: Govt surveyA community-based surveillance conducted by the government has found that all Omicron variants - from BA.2 and XBB to BQ.1 and their respective sub-lineages â are circulating in the country. However,..IndiaTimes - Published |
âIndia detected 300 Omicron sub-lineages, none settledâBetween December 24 and January 3, the health ministry sources said, 124 people arriving to India from abroad were found positive for Covid-19. The sources said 11 variants of SARS-CoV-2 were..IndiaTimes - Published | 11 Omicron sub-variants traced to international flyers in 11 days: GovtIndia started random screening of 2% of international passengers arriving in the country from December 24 onwards. in view of a surge in Covid-19 cases in several countries, especially China, Japan and..IndiaTimes - Published |
WHO 'really concerned' about COVID picture with 'intense transmission in several parts of the world' The World Health Organisation says it is concerned about "risk to life" in China amid a surge in COVID-19 cases, while in Europe and the US the Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 is spreading rapidly. Sky News - Published | WHO 'really concerned' about COVID situationThe World Health Organisation says it is concerned about "risk to life" in China amid a surge in COVID-19 cases, while in Europe and the US the Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 is spreading rapidly.Sky News - Published |
Omicron's XBB most prevalent sub-lineage circulating all over India: INSACOG bulletinCovid-19 variant Omicron and its sub-lineages continue to be the dominant variant in India with 'XBB' being the most prevalent sub-lineage circulating all over the country, the INSACOG said in its..IndiaTimes - Published | India's 1st case of Omicron's XBB.1.5 variant in Gujarat: InsacogIndiaTimes - Published |
Amid China Covid spike, BF.7 variant may not have drastic impact on India: Expert reveals whyChina's explosive Covid wave is being led by the BF.7 strain of Omicron, while the strain might not have similar impacts on the residents of India.DNA - Published | Amid China Covid surge, is BF.7 variant of Omicron a threat to India? Experts say 'no need to panic'The explosive Covid surge in China has triggered a wave of panic amid the spread of the deadly BF.7 strain of the Omicron variant.DNA - Published |
Covid 4th wave to arrive in India like China? Is Omicron sub-variant BF7 dangerous? What we know so farThe BF.7 sub-variant is more transmissible than the Delta variant of the virus that wreaked havoc in India in mid-2021.DNA - Published | Fact check: Viral WhatsApp message claims Covid XBB variant is deadlier than Delta, here's the truthThe message claims newly discovered XBB subvariant of Omicron is five times more virulent and has a higher mortality rate than the Delta variant.DNA - Published |
Omicronâs XBB strains not causing severe illness, says INSACOGIndiaTimes - Published | Karnataka issues advisory after detection of newer Covid sub-variants in MaharashtraThe warning is being released to the general public in light of more recent sub-variants of Omicron that have been detected in Maharashtra.DNA - Published |
âXBB cases double in 1 week, set to be dominant Covid strainCovid infections caused by Omicronâs newly identified XBB strain have nearly doubled in the past week in India, experts said on SundayIndiaTimes - Published | New Omicron subvariant may lead to another Covid wave: WHO chief scientistThe threat of Covid pandemic may be waning every day but the WHO on Thursday said that another wave may be on the horizon.Dr Soumya Swaminathan, chief scientist at the World Health Organization (WHO),..IndiaTimes - Published |
COVID-19: WHO chief, ex-AIIMS director warn older people of "high" Omicron riskAccording to the health expert, elderly people should practice caution owing to the possibility of the infection spreading.DNA - Published | Lung infection back among Covid positive elderlyA cursory analysis of nearly 200 Covid-19 patients hospitalised across the state's medical colleges underlines this observation among physicians. Doctors have primarily seen Omicron cause upper..IndiaTimes - Published |
COVID jab targeting both original strain and Omicron to be rolled out from 5 September A COVID jab which targets both the original strain and Omicron will be rolled out across England from 5 September as part of the autumn booster programme.Sky News - Published | Vaccine for Omicron likely in 6 months: SIIâs PoonawalaThe vaccine will be specific to the BA5 sub-variant of the Omicron strain, SII CEO Adar Poonawalla told a TV channel, adding that he thought âthis vaccine is important as a boosterâ.IndiaTimes - Published |
Serum Institute working on Omicron-specific vaccine, can be expected in next six months: Adar PoonawallaMHRA authorised the vaccine in the UK for adult booster doses "after it met safety, quality, and efficacy requirements," the agency stated.DNA - Published | Centaurus: Omicron's BA.2.75 subvariant detected in Delhi, know how dangerous it is from the previous variantsAs cases saw a sharp rise, the Delhi government on Thursday enforced a face mask mandate again.DNA - Published |
After 6 months, city Covid cases cross 2k mark; 5 die in a dayThe number of new Covid-19 cases in the city crossed the 2,000-mark on Wednesday, with five patients succumbing to the deadly virus. The last time the city recorded over 2,000 cases was on February 4..IndiaTimes - Published | COVID-19: New wave of Omicron mutations spreading across Europe A new wave of Covid-19 is sweeping across Europe driven by Omicron mutations, an EU Medicines Agency official has warned.Sky News - Published |
Omicron's BA.2.75 sub-variant has limited circulation in IndiaBA.2.75 has so far not been recorded to have enhanced severity or the spread of COVID-19.DNA - Published | Covid-19: Samples collected from central, south, southeast Delhi show presence of BA.5 sub-variant of OmicronIndiaTimes - Published |
Covid-19 update: 23 new cases of Omicron sub-variants BA.4, BA.5 in Maharashtra, total at 49Among the 49 samples, 28 are located in Mumbai, 15 in Pune, 4 in Nagpur, and two in Thane.DNA - Published | Risk of long COVID lower from Omicron compared to Delta variant, study suggests The Omicron variant of coronavirus is less likely to cause long COVID than the Delta strain, new research suggests.Sky News - Published |
Covaxin booster beats back Delta, Omicron variants: NIVThe researchers compared the efficacy of Covaxin after the second and third doses against the Delta variant, and also studied its efficacy against the Omicron variants in a Syrian hamster model.IndiaTimes - Published | Covaxin booster dose enhances vaccine effectiveness against Delta, Omicron variants, says ICMR studyThe protective efficacy of Bharat Biotech's Covaxin following two and three-dose immuniszations against the Delta variant and the efficacy of the Covaxin against Omicron variants were studied in a..IndiaTimes - Published |
Catching Omicron 'does little to protect against reinfection from variant' Infection with the Omicron variant of COVID does little to boost our immunity against subsequent infection, even among people who have been triple jabbed, according to new analysis.Sky News - Published | Parts of Beijing in lockdown as city struggles to contain Omicron outbreak Beijing has locked down parts of the city as it once again struggles to contain the Omicron COVID variant, with 74 new cases registered in the last 24-hour period.Sky News - Published |
