Australia is now reporting the presence of three new sub-variants of the Omicron strain of COVID-19.
Identified as BA.2.12.1, BA.4, and BA.5, these variants have been discovered in the country after causing significant increases in infection rates in South Africa and the United States.
New South Wales has reported cases of all three variants, while South Australia has confirmed infections involving BA.4 and BA.5.
These sub-variants have also surfaced in Europe, the United Kingdom, and the United States, proving to be more transmissible, though they currently show no indication of leading to more severe illness.
However, Dr. Kerry Chant, Chief Health Officer for NSW, asserts that the rapid spread witnessed overseas does not necessarily predict a similar trajectory for Australia.
The new strains known as BA.2.12.1, BA.4 and BA.5 have been detected Down Under, and have caused a surge in cases in South Africa and the US (pictured is cafe worker in Perth)
‘We are preparing that there will be future waves, but it may be a different variant to BA.4 or BA.5,’ she said.
Deakin University epidemiologist Professor Catherine Bennett said it was likely the booster vaccine would offer protection against the new strains as to what was seen with Omicron and earlier sub-variants.
She added that due to high levels of infection in Australia, it was possible this would offer more immunity against contracting the BA.4 and BA.5 variants ahead of the winter months.
‘We expect less hospitalisations now,’ she told Daily Mail Australia.
‘We know winter increases the risk for respiratory infections and if we have a virus that doesn’t need winter to spread, as we have seen with Omicron in summer, we might see a pick up in cases.
‘(Although) we have seen so many recent infections and given that, it might take the sting out of winter.’
The sub-lineages have also been detected in Europe, the UK and the US and appear to be more transmissible but there isn’t any evidence to suggest they are more severe
University of Melbourne epidemiologist James McCaw earlier warned the rise of new variants meant people who had been struck down with Covid-19 could be reinfected.
‘We will get reinfected, and we are most likely to be reinfected by new versions of the virus which are immunologically different,’ he told Sydney Morning Herald.
‘It’s going to happen more and more because it’s the only way for the virus to establish itself. It will be around forever because of reinfections.’
Stuart Turville, a virologist at the Kirby Institute said it was possible new variants could ‘take the edge off the potency’ of antibodies that people may have had from vaccines and recent infections.
‘This is not unlike what we have seen before where variants emerge with small changes that made them more competitive in breaking through our pre-existing antibody defences or being more transmissible,’ Mr Turville said.
NSW Health also revealed that more than 11,000 residents have contracted Covid for a second time, and half of these were positive twice in the past six months.
NSW Health also revealed that more than 11,000 residents have contracted Covid for a second time, and half of these were positive twice in the past six months (pictured at Sydney Domestic Airport)