Leading strains of COVID-19: BA.4 and BA.5 variants
The Omicron has five branches, called BA.1, BA.2, BA.3, BA.4, and BA.5. Among them, BA.3 lineage spreads at very low speeds and cause fewer cases. The BA.4 and BA.5 lineage belong to two subtypes of the Omicron clade and share the same spike protein. Compared to BA.1, which causes widespread infection in most countries late last year, BA.4 and BA.5 are very similar to BA.2, but differ in the presence of several additional mutations such as the Δ69-70 deletion and L452R and the F486V mutation.
2022.08.11