BAKU, Azerbaijan, Oct. 26
By Chingiz Safarli - Trend:
The new AY.4.2 variant of COVID-19, which is a sub-species of the “delta” variant, needs special attention, Azerbaijani infectologist Nijat Azimli told Trend on Oct.26.
According to Azimli, the new variant has raised serious concerns among scientists. Following the UK, it has already been detected in the US and Israel.
The Israeli Ministry of Health said that for the first time this variant, with which a child who arrived from Moldova was infected, has now been found in six people. Israeli experts believe that the AY.4.2 strain is 15 times more infectious than the "delta".
"So far, it’s known that the infection rate of the new variant is higher than that of the “delta” variant. Moreover, it causes clinical complications in younger age groups. Therefore, this mutation should be taken much more seriously," added the Azerbaijani specialist.