Novel SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variants in İstanbul; Rapid Preponderance of BA.2 and BA.5.
Yeşim Tuyji TokEbru YücebağAyşe Betül KeleşAyşe Ceylan KılınçarslanOkan Kadir NohutSeda Salman YılmazMert Ahmet KuskucuKenan MidilliPublished in: Infectious diseases & clinical microbiology (2022)
The higher viral load detection in infections with BA.2 and BA.5 reflects a prolonged disease period, and increased transmissibility, so rapid expansion of these Omicron variants in Turkey is inevitable. Even though the prevalence of the Omicron variants in the population can be monitored in near real-time by the PCR screening method, more sequencing studies are needed for the early identification of new mutations that will emerge.