Omicron subvariant responsible for over 70% of COVID-19 cases – Healthcare Ministry

NUR-SULTAN. KAZINFORM – A highly infectious omicron subvariant has fueled a hike in COVID-19 cases in Kazakhstan. Most of COVID-19 patients have mild symptoms though, Kazinform has learned from the Healthcare Ministry.

According to the ministry, the results of the recent genetic testing have proved that the omicron subvariant BA.5 was responsible for 70% of studied samples in Kazakhstan. This subvariant is considered more transmissible and having relatively mild symptoms compared to the Delta strain. This is evidenced by the fact that over 94% of recent COVID-19 patients are treated at home.

«Of those who are treated for COVID-19 at hospitals 36% are children under 18 and 64% are adults,» Healthcare Minister Azhar Giniyat said at the Government meeting on Tuesday.

«The number of ambulance calls for patients with COVID-19 symptoms has decreased 3.7-fold compared to last year,» Minister Giniyat added.

Earlier Healthcare Minister Azhar Giniyat revealed that COVID-19 incidence had spiked 3.2-fold in Kazakhstan recently.