The state has detected 91 instances of the new Covid-19 Omicron subvariant KP.2, which has surpassed the previously prevalent JN.1 variant and is now leading to an increase in cases in several nations. Pune reported 51 cases, while Thane reported 20 cases of KP.2, which was initially identified worldwide in January. Presently, KP.2 is the predominant variant in the US.
Maharashtra first detected cases of the KP.2 variant in January. By March and April, it had become the dominant strain in the region. However, Dr. Rajesh Karyakarte, the state’s genome sequencing coordinator, noted that there hasn’t been a proportional increase in hospitalizations or severe cases associated with this variant. KP.2 originated from JN.1, which was the prevalent Covid strain by the end of 2023. In March, the state experienced a slight uptick in cases, averaging around 250 detections, likely due to the spread of the KP.2 variant.
Apart from Pune and Thane, seven cases each were identified in Amravati and Aurangabad, while Solapur had two cases. Additionally, Ahmednagar, Nashik, Latur, and Sangli each reported one case of the KP.2 variant. Notably, there were no reported cases from Mumbai.