Centaurus: Omicron’s BA.2.75 subvariant detected in Delhi, know how dangerous it is from the previous variants
With several cities reporting an increase in COVID cases, experts appear concerned about Omicron subvariant BA.2.75. So far, the variant, discovered in India, has been reported in 20 countries. While some experts have issued a warning, others have stated that it is too early to make assumptions about the variant. BA.2.75, also known as ‘Centaurus,’ has not resulted in an increase in hospitalisation or death rates.
Omicron’s new subvariant BA 2.75
The BA.2.75 subvariant of the Omicron appeared to have evolved from the BA.2 subvariant, which spread widely in early 2022. Moreover, several studies have previously revealed that the new variant contains an additional mutation.
Dr Suresh Kumar, Medical Director, LNJP Hospital said, “Omicron’s sub-variant BA 2.75 has been found in the report. It has more transmission rate. This has emerged in the study report of 90 samples sent for genome sequencing. This new sub-variant also attacks people already having antibodies and also those who have taken vaccines”.
This Omicron variant is spreading quickly and is most likely evading immunity from previous infection and vaccination.
BA.2.75 variant with major immune escape
The BA-2.75 variant, also known as “Centaurus,” has yet to be given an official name. BA.2.75 appears to be spreading slowly at the moment, according to health experts, but this speed may increase. This type of variant was previously observed in certain European countries.
According to the World Health Organization’s chief scientist, Soumya Swaminathan, BA.2.75 may have a significant immunological escape, implying it has mutations that are easy for the immune system to exploit. This ability could be the source of the rapidly rising infection rate in humans.
How dangerous it is compared to BA.5?
The BA-2.75 variant had higher effective reproduction numbers than the BA.5 and the original BA.2. Concerns are also growing that it will soon overtake BA.5 as the variant with the greatest infectious potential. The S protein has four mutations when compared to BA.2 and BA.4/5. These mutations make it more likely to spread quickly among humans. This sub-characteristics variant is being researched in order to better understand its infection rate.
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