TAG-declaration VE’s is based on two datasets: an examination of almost 2,000 genomes of locally acquired illnesses sequenced since December 1, 2022, as disclosed by scientists from the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, and 773 sequences from mainland China that are publicly available.
Two sub-variants — BA.5.2 and BF.7 — of omicron that together account for over 95% of the genomes sequenced are behind the surge in Covid cases in China, according to a statement by the World Health Organisation’s technical advisory group on virus evolution (TAG-VE). The country doesn’t have any new variant or mutation of known significance, according to the statement.
The statement by TAG-VE is based on two datasets – an analysis of more than 2,000 genomes of locally acquired infections sequenced since December 1, 2022 communicated by scientist from the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, and 773 sequences from mainland China available in the public domain.
“The China CDC analysis showed a predominance of Omicron lineages BA.5.2 and BF.7 among locally acquired infections. BA.5.2 and BF.7 together accounted for 97.5% of all local infections as per genomic sequencing,” said the TAG-VE statement. Out of the sequences available publicly on the GISAID global database – majority of which were sequences since December 1, 2022 – 95% of genomes for locally acquired cases were BA.5.2. and BF.7.
“This is consistent with genomes from Chinese travellers submitted to the GISAID EpiCoV database by other nations,” according to the announcement. While recognising the country’s statistics, the TAG-VE stated that more analysis was required.
Experts have said, although the variants circulating in China are unlikely to lead to largescale increase in hospitalisations and deaths, there is a possibility of newer variants emerging.