The
Ministry of Health (Minsa), through the Genomic Surveillance Team at the National Health Institute (INS), has detected a new lineage of the COVID-19 Omicron variant, which was named BA.1.22 by the Pango Lineage Designation Committee in the United Kingdom.
The BA.1.22 lineage has arisen as a result of the natural evolution of the virus in the Peruvian population and has been detected mainly in Tacna region; however, cases have already been reported in Loreto, Arequipa, Moquegua, Puno, and Lima.
It should be pointed out that BA.1.22 does not contain new mutations that are different from those previously reported since the Omicron variant was discovered.
The head of the INS Genomic Surveillance Laboratory, biologist Carlos Padilla, commented that so far 10 lineages, including BA.1.22, have been identified and recommended for registration by the INS Genomic Surveillance Team, and they have been accepted by the Pango Lineage Designation Committee.
These aforementioned lineages are called P.1.12, AY.26.1, P.1.12.1, AY.3.2, AY.102.2, AY.102.1, AY.119.1, AY.25.1.1, and P.1.7.1.
Padilla explained that
genomic surveillance is used to make public health decisions and strengthen control of the epidemic in the face of the emergence of new mutants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus across the national territory.
This monitoring is constant in Lima and regions, even at times when few positive cases are reported.
In this regard, the INS Genomic Surveillance Team continues to study the evolution of the virus in real time as part of a strategy to prevent and control the transmission of the new coronavirus.
(END) NDP/RRC/RMB/MVB
Published: 5/6/2022