Omicron sub-lineages continue to be dominant Covid strains in Karnataka
As per the data shared by the Department of Health and Family, the Omicron sub-lineages BA1.1529, BA.2, BA.3, BA.4, BA.5 continue to be the major Covid-19 strains in Karnataka.
Of the 1,300 samples sequenced in July, 1,279 were found to be infected with the Omicron sub-lineage. Although eta/kappa/pango were found in 26 samples, they were only 2 percent of the total samples sequenced.
BA.2 is the most prominent sub-lineage, found to be present in 618 samples (48.50 per cent). While the BA 1.1.529 sub-lineage was detected in 351 samples (27.55 per cent), BA.5, which was present in 112 samples till June, was found in 279 samples in July thus accounting for 21.89 per cent of the total.
Sequencing of 15,293 samples has been done since March 2021. According to the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG), the delta strain and its sub-lineages were found in 4,626 samples between March 2021 and June this year. Other types Alpha, Beta, Eta/Kappa/Pango were found in 156, 8 and 634 samples, respectively. 9,869 samples were found to be infected with Omicron and its sub-lineages.
There has been an increase in the number of hospitalizations due to COVID in the state as there are 270 patients in government hospitals across the state; There are 218 in general beds, 17 in oxygen beds, 33 in intensive care units (ICU) and 2 in ICU ventilator beds.
Meanwhile, 19 Covid clusters were found in the Mahadevapura area of Bengaluru and two in the west zone of the city.
On Monday, 1,206 new Covid cases were reported in the state taking the total number of active cases to 10,475. Of the total active cases, 6,951 are in Bengaluru. The weekly positivity rate is 6.59 percent.
