“Hound of hell” causes almost half of Covid cases in Argentina

The latest National Epidemiological Bulletin (n° 634) released by the Ministry of Health establishes the circulation of 5 lineages of the Omicron variantwith special attention to the increase in COVID cases attributed to the “hound of hell” variant. As the report specified, “a greater number of positive samples is beginning to be detected for Omicron BQ.1.1“.

All of the “cases investigated in genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 correspond to the Ómicron variant”, they detailed from the health portfolio.

“Regarding the lineages, between the SE45-48 begins to detect a higher number of positive samples for Omicron BQ.1.1with some identified cases of Ómicron XBB.1, BA.2, BA.4 and BA.5″, he expands in the report in question.

The rapid and high rate of transmission of Ómicron, updated by the Ministry, “has facilitated the appearance of additional changes defining different classified sublineages within the same variant“.

Omicron XBB.1.5: the new subvariant of the Covid that alerts the United States and Europe

“To date, there have been globally reported 5 different main lineages of Omicron: BA.1, BA.2, BA.3, BA.4 and BA.5 and their descendant lineages (BA.1.1, BA.2.12.1, among others)”, pointed out the Epidemiological Bulletin No. 634.

“The evolution of Omicron’s descendant lineages continues to show genetic diversification and has resulted in more than 540 descendant lineages and more than 61 recombinants. However, only some of these variants will increase in prevalence, while for others there will be few detections,” the national health authorities specified.

Refering to subvariant BQ.1.1popularly known as ‘Hell’s Dog’, its detection was confirmed in 15 of the 35 samples analyzed, which represents almost half of the positive cases.

In the previous report, released at the beginning of January, the proportion of cases attributed to this variant comprises a third of the total.

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