India detects first case of Omicron subvariant BQ.1 in Maharashtra

Pune: India on Tuesday detected the first case of Omicron subvariant BQ.1 in Pune, Maharashtra, informed the health department.

On Monday, health authorities of Maharashtra said that BQ.1 has been detected during the genome sequencing of a resident’s sample from Pune.

The new subvariants BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 are the descendants of BA.5 which is a subvariant of Omicron. The BA.5 accounts for over 60 percent of cases in the United States its effect and now its relatives are becoming active. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), It was first detected in Botswana and has spread to become the predominant variant in circulation around the world.

Maharashtra has witnessed 17.7 rise in Covid cases over the week that ended on 16 October.

The BQ.1 Covid strain and a descendant called BQ.1.1 have grown up by 10% since September in United States of America.

According to the Union Health Ministry, India reported 1,542 new coronavirus infections and eight Covid-related deaths in the last 24 hours across the country.