NIV Uncovers New Omicron Sub-variants Amid Rising Covid Cases

The National Institute of Virology is sequencing four new Omicron sub-variants amid rising Covid cases in India, aiding vaccine effectiveness assessment. Since April, sub-variants like JN.1.16 caused a surge, later replaced by XFG. Current vaccines are being reviewed for modification, while monitoring continues.

The National Institute of Virology (NIV) announced progress in genome sequencing four new Omicron sub-variants, potentially linked to the recent spike in Covid cases across India. This groundbreaking effort is expected to play a crucial role in assessing the effectiveness of existing vaccines, as stated by Dr. Naveen Kumar, director of the Pune-based NIV under ICMR.

Reports indicate a noticeable upsurge in Covid cases from early April, attributed to the JN.1.16 sub-lineage. However, this pattern was disrupted in May with the emergence of the recombinant XFG variant. The genomic data has been submitted to both the Indian Biological Data Centre and an international data-sharing platform for comprehensive analysis.

Amid continuous monitoring by the health ministry, current vaccines, Corbivax and COVOVAX, are under scrutiny for potential updates, though indications suggest the new strains are not notably severe. Meanwhile, all Indian states have been advised to ensure medical readiness for potential cases, as the active caseload shows a slight decline with Kerala remaining the most affected state.

(With inputs from agencies.)