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SINGAPORE - The increased transmissibility of the Omicron variant has seen the emergence of a number of sub-variants, with the Ministry of Health (MOH) on Sunday (May 15) announcing the first local cases of BA.4 and BA.5 detected in Singapore. But experts saShould we be worried about the new Omicron sub variants in Singapore? Experts explain
SINGAPORE - The increased transmissibility of the Omicron variant has seen the emergence of a number of sub-variants, with the Ministry of Health (MOH) on Sunday (May 15) announcing the first local cases of BA.4 and BA.5 detected in Singapore. But experts say there is no cause for undue alarm. The Straits Times answers some questions on what we know so far about these two new variants - BA.4 and BA.5. Q: Why are there so many Omicron sub-variants? A: Omicron has spread rapidly and this has given it many opportunities to mutate and also acquire specific mutations of its own. Some of these sub-variants include BA.1, BA.2, BA.3, BA.4 and BA.5. There have been sub-variants of earlier versions of the virus, such as the Delta variant. However, Omicron has outcompeted these, most likely due to its increased transmissibility. Q: Where have BA.4 and BA.5 been detected in? A: These sub variants have been detected in more than a dozen countries, with higher rates of detection in South Africa. Read more