Omicron: Australia finds new strain that is hard to detect through PCR testing

The new lineage has about half the gene variations of the original and cannot be detected with typical screening, Queenland's acting chief health officer Peter Aitken has said

Moneycontrol News

December 09, 2021 / 10:42 IST

Representational image (Source: Reuters)

Amid a global uptick in the cases of the recently detected Omicron coronavirus variant, Australia has reported a new lineage of the strain that is harder to detect with "typical screening".

"Queensland state found the new omicron lineage in an inbound traveller from South Africa. The new lineage has about half the gene variations of the original and cannot be detected with typical screening," the state's acting chief health officer Peter Aitken was quoted as saying by Bloomberg.

Also read | Omicron could spread faster but it''s still not certain: WHO

According to Aitken, the new lineage has enough markers to be classified as Omicron but not enough is known about severity and vaccine effectiveness.

The new lineage has about half (14) genome mutations of the traditional Omicron variant.

COVID-19 Vaccine

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