The Omicron variant is responsible for almost 70% of Covid-19 patients in Dhaka city, according to a recent study by the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b).
According to it, the Omicron variant was detected in 260 samples out of the 379 (69%), which tested positive for Covid-19. The samples were collected from 24 booths across Dhaka city in the first two weeks of January.
The median age of Omicron infected patients (33.5 years) was less than those infected by Delta (40 years), says the report.
Cases of the Omicron variant in Bangladesh have jumped to 69, with five more infections detected till Sunday, according to GISAID, a primary source that provides open access to genomic data of Coronavirus.
However, the global data sharing site did not provide the actual scenario as many researchers in the country are yet to submit all the data.
The data of icddr,b for instance are yet to be added. Besides, recently completed data by BSMMU have also not been added.
icddr,b has looked into the phylogenetic analysis of Omicron variants in Bangladesh, where it has witnessed three clusters of the variant.
The complete genomic analysis of Omicron variants reported from Bangladesh suggests that carriers or persons came into contact from three sources -- African, Euro-American, and Asia Pacific origin, reads a recent report.
The report, however, did not disclose anything on the subvariant of Omicron.
Outbreak.info is showing that Bangladesh has mostly been infected by Beta, Delta and Omicron. It included data till January 20.
The 64 cases analyzed shows that 58 of them were BA1 subvariant of Omicron while six others were confirmed as BA2 type.
Global media reported that BA2 could spread relatively more quickly than BA1 and is spreading fast in India and in European countries, including the UK and Denmark.
The variant has spread over 40 countries till now and has been named as Stealth Omicron as it can deceive rt-PCR tests as well.
In general, if any sample shows no response to S-spike gene, there are strong possibilities that it might be Omicron.
Officials from icddr,b said they have also found the same in a few samples of the virus.
On December 11, Bangladesh reported its first two cases of the Omicron variant in two members of the Bangladesh women cricket team.
They had returned from Zimbabwe after taking part in the ICC Women's World Cup qualifiers. The event was, however, called off midway due to the surge in Omicron cases.
Doctors in South Africa were the first to alert the world to this new variant.
On Sunday, Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) spokesperson Dr Md Nazmul Islam said Omicron was gradually replacing Delta through community transmission in Bangladesh.
The variant is spreading at the community level, and its symptoms have similarities with that of seasonal flu.
