New sub-variant of Omicron Corona virus confirmed in Nepal

24 May, Kathmandu : A new sub-variant of the Omicron variant of corona virus has been found in Nepal.

National Public Health Laboratory (NPHL)’s information officer Krishna Prasad Jaisi said that the ‘KP 1’, ‘KP 2’, ‘KP 3’ and ‘KP 4’ were confirmed through a gene-sequencing done on the samples collected from 42 persons infected by Corona virus.

According to him, 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 new name,” Jaisi added. Spokesman at the Ministry of Health and Population, Dr Prakash Budhathoki said that the ‘KP’ variant is not contagious. “The ‘KP’ variant is not much infectious. It has no 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.