The Health Department of São Paulo confirmed, this Thursday (5), the identification of two cases of the new variant Ômicron XQ in the capital of São Paulo.
In a statement, the agency stated that the cases were found through genetic sequencing carried out at the Butantan Institute. Omicron XQ mixes the BA.1.1 and BA.2 sublines.
Information on further suspected cases was not provided.
Brazil had already registered cases of the XE subvariant, which was also being monitored by the World Health Organization (WHO).
In an epidemiological bulletin, the WHO said that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, continues to evolve. Given the current high level of transmission worldwide, it is likely that other variants, including recombinants, will continue to emerge, according to the WHO.
Also according to the entity, recombination is common among coronaviruses and is considered an expected part of the context of mutations.
Covid-19: Death toll could be three times higher than official
Some 14.9 million people worldwide died as a direct or indirect result of Covid-19 in the period between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2021, according to new estimates from the World Health Organization – nearly three times as many deaths than were officially reported.
There were 5.4 million deaths from Covid-19 reported to the WHO during this period, resulting in an excess mortality estimate of 9.5 million more deaths than reported.
“Excess mortality is the difference between the number of deaths that have been recorded and those that would have been expected in the absence of the pandemic,” said Samira Asma, assistant director-general of the WHO’s Division of Data, Analysis and Delivery for Impact.
Basic care helps prevent Covid-19
Source: CNN Brasil