After the country started reporting Omicron sub-variants BA.4 and BA.5, virologists and experts have cautioned against worrying endlessly about infections. Staying vigilant is important but there is no need to panic as most people in the country have been vaccinated or been infected. Dr Rajesh Karyakarte, Maharashtra coordinator for genome sequencing, said that his team had coordinated the identification of BA.4 and BA.5 for the first time across samples in Pune and found there was no need to panic. The Omicron sub-variants BA.4 and BA.5 are circulating globally and have been associated with the fifth Covid wave in South Africa. Recently, the US and Europe have also reported the Omicron sub-variants.

Source: Indian Express May 31, 2022 15:00 UTC