The cases of Omicron variant of Covid-19 have jumped to 187 in Bangladesh with the detection of 81 fresh infections till Monday, according to GISAID, a primary source that provides open access to genomic data of coronavirus.
The latest cases were detected at the lab of PRAVA Health that was later submitted by the Genomic Research Lab of Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR) on Sunday.
Bangladesh reported its first two Omicron cases on December 11 last year in two members of the Bangladesh women's cricket team that had been forced to return early from the ICC Women's World Cup qualifiers in Zimbabwe, deep in southern Africa, where the most transmissible variant of SARS-CoV-2 till now is believed to have originated.
The newly detected sub-variant of Omicron, the South African variant of coronavirus, can be even more contagious, warned the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Citing various studies, the World Health Organization (WHO) stated that this sub-variant, which has already been detected in 57 countries, might be more contagious than before and if it is more infectious it may create greater risks, DGHS spokesperson Dr Nazmul Islam said at the daily briefing on Covid-19 situation on February 2.
There is no alternative to abiding by the health protocols to stay safe, the official added.
