Maharashtra has recorded 91 instances of the new Covid-19 Omicron subvariant KP.2, which has surpassed the previously dominant JN.1 variant and is now fueling infections in several countries.
Pune reported 51 cases, and Thane recorded 20 cases of the KP.2 subvariant. This new strain was first identified globally in January and is currently the dominant variant in the US.
Apart from Pune and Thane, seven cases each were identified in Amravati and Aurangabad. Additionally, Solapur had two cases, while Ahmednagar, Nashik, Latur, and Sangli each reported one instance of the KP.2 variant. No cases were reported from Mumbai.
KP.2 is a descendant of JN.1, which held prominence as the primary Covid strain by the end of 2023.
Dr. Rajesh Karyakarte, the state’s genome sequencing coordinator, said that by March and April, KP.2 had become the predominant strain in the region. However, there hasn’t been a corresponding increase in hospitalisations or severe cases, reported The Times of India.
In March, Maharashtra experienced a slight increase in cases, with an average of around 250 detections, which is likely attributed to the spread of the KP.2 variant.
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