Omicron sub-variants BA.4 and BA.5 found in Santa Clara County’s wastewater as cases continue to climb
Two highly contagious omicron subvariants that recently swept through South Africa and sparked a rapid rise in coronavirus cases in that country have been detected in Santa Clara County’s wastewater systems, according to public health officials.
Though the new subvariants account for about one percent of the total amount of COVID-19 measured in the county’s four wastewater sites, it remains to be seen whether it will become the dominant strain in Santa Clara County, said UC Berkeley epidemiologist Dr. John Swartzberg.. “In South Africa, BA.4 and BA.5 have played a considerable role in the surge that they’re coming out of,” said Swartzberg. “While we know about the virus and its increased transmissibility, we don’t understand why it took off in South Africa and why it has not taken off elsewhere. It doesn’t mean it won’t.”“At this point, we don’t know which one will come out on top,” said Han. “What we do know is that we will continue to have more and more subvariants. It is to be expected.
The discovery of the two new subvariants comes amid a recent upswing in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations within Santa Clara County.
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