3 sub-types of Omicron variant circulating in Dhaka: icddr,b

At least three different sub-types of the Omicron variant have been circulating in Dhaka, the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b) said in a recent report.

"Complete genomic analysis of Omicron variants reported from Bangladesh suggests that at least three introductions of Omicron variant happened in Bangladesh with African, Euro-American, and Asia Pacific origin," the report said.

According to the icddr,b report, Omicron variant was identified in 260 (69%) out of 379 samples positive for Covid-19 in its lab from samples received from Dhaka City during the first two weeks of January this year.

Median age of Omicron infected patients (33.5 years) was less than those infected by Delta (40 years), it adds.

icddr,b also interviewed 29 Omicron infected patients over the phone and they found the following information- 

• Male 13, Female 16
• 27 patients had mild or no symptoms
• 24 of them had received 2 doses of vaccine, 3 had received only 1 dose.
• Only 1 was hospitalized for 1 day.
• None had travelled abroad, except one came from Saudi Arabia.

The Omicron variant in Bangladesh was first identified on 6 December last year. The initial two Omicron cases were actually carried by two passengers who had returned from Africa. The total number of Omicron cases in the country stands at 69 as of Monday morning.