In Delhi, new and more transmissible Omicron sub-variant BA 2.75 detected

BA 2.75, a new Omicron sub-variant, has been detected in the majority of samples taken from most Covid-19 patients in Delhi, said the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan (LNJP) Hospital. The samples were sent for genome sequencing and analysed this week, news agency PTI reported quoting a senior official of the hospital on Thursday.

The study involved 90 patients, and BA 2.75 is more transmissible than Omicron's previous variants.

According to the official, over half of the samples have been detected with BA 2.75.

The study can be seen as a significant development as the national capital reported 2,146 new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours and eight deaths, the highest in the country.

As cases saw a sharp rise, the Delhi government on Thursday enforced a face mask mandate again, though a similar order in April failed to improve compliance.

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According to the latest order, people caught without masks in public will be fined ₹500. At present, mask-wearing is rare in shopping malls and crowded markets.

Doctors at the 2,000-bed LNJP Hospital, the largest under the Delhi government, have been the mainstay of the capital's fight against the pandemic since its outbreak in March 2020.

The doctors, however, asserted cases in which the sub-variant was detected, the severity is less and patients are recovering faster, within five-seven days.

PTI reported that said the study involved 90 patients, and BA 2.75 is more transmissible than Omicron's previous variants.

Between August 1 and 10, the national capital saw more than 19,760 cases, according to official data shared by the Delhi health department. Also, there has been a nearly 50 per cent jump in the number of containment zones in the city during this period.

On Tuesday, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal had Covid-19 cases were on the rise in Delhi, but there was no need to panic as most of the new cases were mild in nature.

(With inputs from PTI, Reuters)