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From LA TIMES
Los Angeles County is already in the grips of a coronavirus surge fueled by the Omicron subvariant BA.5, but yet another worrisome strain that’s causing concern in India has also been found locally.
Designated BA.2.75, the subvariant is being monitored by the World Health Organization. As of Thursday, six cases had been identified in the U.S., including two in California, with one of those in L.A. County, according to county Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer.
“It does appear to have additional mutations that facilitate spread and evade immunity,” she said during a briefing. “And it’s been spreading fairly rapidly across India.”
Scientists are exploring whether the emergence of BA.2.75 could eventually prolong or exacerbate the existing surge now being fueled by BA.5 — another highly infectious member of the Omicron family.
“Whenever there’s an identified new variant of concern, or in this case, a lineage that’s under monitoring, we do need to proceed with caution, as it takes time to better understand the risks that may be posed by this newly mutated virus,” Ferrer said.
From LA TIMES
