Covid-19 pandemic: First case of Omicron sub-variant detected in Pakistan

Pakistan has reported the first case of the Omicron sub-variant BA.2.12.1, which has been fuelling a fresh wave of coronavirus infections across the globe, health officials said on Monday.

The first case of Omicron sub-variant BA.2.12.1 was detected in Pakistan. This new sub-variant is causing increasing number of cases in different countries, the National Institute of Health tweeted.

The National Institute of Health has been tasked with all decisions pertaining to the pandemic in Pakistan after the erstwhile National Command and Operation Centre was shut down.

The best preventive measure (besides mask-wearing at crowded places) is COVID-19 vaccination. We strongly recommended getting vaccinated and all those due for boosters must get the shots immediately, the institute said in another tweet.

Health officials said that the new Omicron sub-variant is a descendant of the earlier super-contagious stealth Omicron and has quickly gained ground in the United States, where it was responsible for 29 per cent of new infections by the third week of April.

The variant has been detected in at least 13 other countries, but the US has reported the highest levels so far, with scientists warning that it spreads faster than stealth Omicron.

The development comes at a time when Pakistan has been witnessing a sharp decline in the number of coronavirus cases.

Since April 27 this year, Pakistan has been reporting less than 100 cases on a daily basis.

Only 64 cases were reported on Monday.

The total number of confirmed cases reported so far stood at 1,527,954, while 30,369 people have succumbed to the virus, according to official estimates.

Pakistan has administered a total of 246,442,655 doses of vaccines so far, with the number of fully vaccinated climbing to well over 120 million.