Kathmandu: A new sub-variant of the Omicron variant of coronavirus has been found in Nepal. Information Officer at the National Public Health Laboratory, Krishna Prasad Jaisi, said that the ‘KP 1’, ‘KP 2’, ‘KP 3’ and ‘KP 4’ were confirmed through gene-sequencing done on the samples collected from 42 people infected by coronavirus.
According to Jaisi, the gene sequencing was carried out by collecting samples from the infected persons from all seven provinces in last April and May. Among them the ‘KP 1’ sub-variant of the Omicron variant was found in 12 samples, the ‘KP 2’ in 17 samples, ‘KP 3’ in one sample and the ‘KP 4’ sub-variant in one sample.
“This is not a new variant. It is the sub-variant of the Omicron variant. It is only given a new name,” Jaisi added.
Spokesperson at the Ministry of Health and Population, Dr Prakash Budhathoki said that the ‘KP’ variant is not contagious. “The ‘KP’ variant is not very infectious. It has not much impact,” he added.
The Omicron (JN 1) has been found in seven samples and the Omicron (BA 2) in two samples out of 42 samples tested in the NPHL. – RSS
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