11 Omicron sub-variants traced to international flyers in 11 days: Govt

NEW DELHI: As many as 124 passengers who arrived in India from abroad between December 24 and January 3 were found positive for Covid-19 and tests revealed presence of eleven Omicron sub-variants which had been earlier reported in India, health ministry sources said on Thursday.
The sources said the 11 variants of SARS-CoV-2 were identified in Whole Genome Sequencing (WSG) carried out on the samples of 40 of the the passengers who were found positive. They said 19,227 international travellers were tested at airports, sea ports and land ports during this period.

“XBB, a sub-variant of Omicron, and its sub-lineages including XBB.1, XBB.2, XBB.3.4.5 were found in 14 (35%) of the 40 samples. BQ.1.1 and its sub-lineages BQ 1.122 and BQ 1.1.5: 9 were found in 9 (23%) samples,” officials said.
Other sub-variants found in WSG conducted on the positive samples from among the international passengers were BA.5.2, BF7.4.1, CH.1.1, CH 1.1.1 among others.

According to INSACOG, a consortium of 54 laboratories to monitor the genomic variations in SARS-CoV-2, Covid-19 caused by XBB and its lineage XBB.1 are mostly mild and similar to other Omicron sub-lineages. “In the current phase of the pandemic, the SARS-CoV-2 virus is continuously accumulating mutations, some of which might contribute to increased transmissibility and immune evasion resulting in transmission advantage over other variants,” the INSACOG had said in a statement issued in October last year when XBB and its sub-lineages were detected in India leading to panic.

However, INSACOG advised people to adhere to Covid-appropriate behaviour, especially in the light of ongoing festivities.
India started random screening of 2% of international passengers arriving in the country from December 24 onwards. in view of a surge in Covid-19 cases in several countries, especially China, Japan and South Korea among others.

Health ministry officials said between December 24 and January 3, a total 9.05 lakh international arrivals were recorded in the country. Of them, 19,227 people underwent Covid tests and 124 were found positive.