The Public Health Ministry says there’s no trigger for concern after the BA2.2 Omicron sub-variant was reported in four Covid-19 patients within the kingdom. According to a Bangkok Post report, the sufferers are 3 Thai nationals and a foreigner. The BA2.2 sub-variant was first discovered in Hong Kong, which is battling its worst Covid-19 wave for the rationale that begin of the pandemic and at present has the world’s highest demise fee. driedfruitthailand of the deaths are occurring in the elderly inhabitants and the unvaccinated.
Here in Thailand, Supakit Sirilak from the Department of Medical Sciences says the overwhelming majority of infections are nonetheless the Omicron BA.2 subvariant. He provides that 99.7% of over 2,000 samples despatched for genomic sequencing are of the Omicron variant. Case of the BA.2 sub-variant have increased from 52% to 68%, while BA.1 make up 32% infections. In a brand new growth, four circumstances are considered the model new BA2.2 sub-variant first reported in Hong Kong.
Supakit says the knowledge has been sent to the Global Initiative on Sharing Avian Influenza Data, which has but to substantiate the strain as a new variant. He adds that each one four patients had delicate symptoms they usually have since made a full recovery. As yet, he says there isn’t any cause for concern.
“There is no have to panic as there are no worrying indicators. But we have to be vigilant and answer 3 questions – does it unfold more quickly? Will it trigger extra deaths and may it evade our efforts to spice up immunity?”
Supakit says it’s too early to say if BA2.2 is behind the rise in deaths in Hong Kong. He points out that with an enormous surge in infections, it’s doubtless there will be extra fatalities, because of the strain on the healthcare system.
“The Omicron pressure is highly transmissible, so when the common public well being system is unable to deal with the surge, it may result in extra deaths.”
The deputy director-general of the Department of Medical Services agrees. Banlang Uppapong points out that other elements have to be thought-about when wanting on the scenario in Hong Kong, such as its low vaccination rate and the reality that deaths are primarily in the unvaccinated and the aged..