On November 9, 2021, the first case of a new version of Covid was reported in South Africa. On 26 November, given the increase in cases in this country, the World Health Organization declared it an “option for concern” and indicated that increased transmission is likely. They were called omicrons.
On December 1, the first cases were discovered in the United States, and the variant, later named BA.1, quickly wiped out the others and caused a daily commotion. Six weeks later, US cases jump from about 120,000 to 800,000. The latest indicator, the Covid-related death rate, nearly doubled when BA.1 invaded, rising from around 1,300 daily to 2,600 on 29 January. by Johns Hopkins University.
This scenario could repeat itself this week, as global potential GISAID data shows that the first cases from the two potentially more contagious Omicron strains, originally located in South Africa, were detected in the United States. Analyzed By Database And Outbreak.info.
The number of new subtype cases detected in the US is still incredibly small; Ten BA.4 cases and four BA.5 cases were reported. But if they are indeed more contagious than the current champion BA.2, they can cause rapid spread.
BA.4 was first identified on January 10, 2022 in South Africa in cases detected by Outbreak.info. This country was also the first to install BA.5 on February 26. They currently represent 6% and 5%, respectively, of cases that have occurred in the country since the date of detection. That’s not much, but South Africa seems to be doing just 1,000 tests per month since January. By comparison, California, with a population of about 20 million fewer than South Africa, conducts about 12,000 tests per month.
According to the District Health Department, the increase in cases in South Africa only started in the last 10 days. During this period, the number of new daily cases rose from 800 to 1,800 in the week ending April 17, to 6,500 yesterday.
It is not yet clear whether the US has seen its own BA.4/BA.5 jump, but it is already seeing an increase in BA.2 from 26,675 new 7-day average cases on April 1 to 60,809 on April 29. Hospitalization and death rates due to Covid have also increased.
Source: Deadline
Elizabeth Cabrera is an author and journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a talent for staying up-to-date on the latest news and trends, Elizabeth is dedicated to delivering informative and engaging articles that keep readers informed on the latest developments.
