Another Omicron COVID-19 sub-variant — thought to be more transmissible than the current dominant strain — is found in Victorian wastewater.
Another Omicron COVID-19 sub-variant — thought to be more transmissible than the current dominant strain — has been found in Victorian wastewater.Evidence of it was found in wastewater samples in Melbourne's south-eastIt is believed to be the first time the sub-strain has been found in Australia.
The state's health department confirmed on Friday afternoon the BA.2.12.1 Omicron strain had been detected in a south-east metropolitan Melbourne wastewater catchment. The BA.2.12.1 strain is a sub-lineage of the BA.2 Omicron variant, which is currently dominant across Australia. "Early evidence suggests it is more transmissible than BA.2, but does not cause more-severe disease," the health department said., up from about 20 per cent of cases in mid-April.Data regarding the new sub-strain is still being collected, so it is too early to definitively say whether it is more contagious or causes more-severe illness.
"Health authorities will prioritise the sequencing of PCR samples from COVID-19 cases in the wastewater catchment area to get a better understanding of the prevalence of the strain," the health department said.
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