Omicron subvariant BA.2.75, otherwise known by its unofficial nickname ‘Centaurus’, is on the move after it was detected in India in May.It is the latest Omicron subvariant to have emerged since February, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), and follows other BA.2 subvariants that are being closely monitored.So far, NSW has confirmed three cases of BA.2.75 ‘Centaurus’ via whole genome sequencing in people who had returned from overseas. Meanwhile in Australia, two other new Omicron variants known as BA.4 and BA.5 continue to be the most infectious and vaccine-evasive strains that medical experts are battling against.NSW is currently experiencing a wave of transmission driven by BA.4 and BA.5 Covid subvariants comprising 83 per cent of cases in the week ending July 9, which is up from 70 per cent at the end of the previous week. “From Tuesday the 11th of July this year, BA.5 has now become the predominantly sublineage seen in Australia’s genomic surveillance system,” Australia’s deputy chief medical officer Michael Kidd said.“Cases of BA.4 and BA.5 have been observed in all jurisdictions in Australia and this is similar to what we’re seeing overseas with (both subvariants) increasing rapidly across Europe, the United States and in South Africa.”NED-6477-Omicron-family-treeIt comes as the Australian chief medical officer issued a fresh recommendation to put masks back on and work from home.Students and teachers were also encouraged to wear masks in the classrooms amid a Covid spike that is seeking 30 per cent more sick days being taken this winter.NSW Health reported that the rates of Covid-19 are “likely to underestimate true incidence in the community”.In the last 24 hours, the state has recorded 15,352 positive cases, including 7992 RATs and 7360 PCR’s with the number of triple vaccinated people growing to 68.6 per cent.The new subvariant BA.2.75 is not currently listed as a variant of concern, but is being monitored as Omicron remains the most dominant SARS-CoV-2 variant.
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