Scientists at the 石榴视频黄色版 have detected the Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 in their latest sequencing run. Sequencing involves looking at the genetic makeup of COVID samples.

鈥淲e had one of each. The BA.4 was from the Lowcountry and the BA.5 was from the Upstate,鈥� said . He鈥檚 a scientist who specializes in using computer data to analyze biological data, and an assistant professor in the College of Medicine.

The two cases were among 60 included in the sequencing run. All of the COVID-positive samples came from people who got tested at MUSC sites.

This marks the first time BA.4 and BA.5 have shown up in the MUSC sequencing data, but it鈥檚 not likely to be the last. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that BA.4 and BA.5 represented 13% of all new cases in the U.S., up from about 7% a week ago.

, an associate professor in the College of Medicine, directs the Molecular Pathology Lab at MUSC. 鈥淏A.4 and BA.5 do seem to have that doubling that we've seen in the past, with certain variants that tend to fight to take over.鈥�

It鈥檚 unclear how widespread BA.4 and BA.5 are in South Carolina since the number of people who do home tests instead of going to test sites has gone way up, and there isn鈥檛 widespread wastewater surveillance.

The impact of the new Omicron subvariants isn鈥檛 clear either. They obviously spread easily, but Hirschhorn said that so far, there鈥檚 no evidence that they鈥檙e otherwise worse than what was already out there.

鈥淭he threat for hospitalization with Omicron appears to be diminished compared to some of the other variants that we have seen. But it's not gone. So people with at-risk conditions could still see hospitalization or death if they were to catch COVID.鈥�

Her lab鈥檚 findings come during a COVID wave in the Charleston Tri-county area, one that鈥檚 estimated to peak in about a month. 鈥淭hink about how you need to protect yourself and those around you in any way that you can, whether that be wearing a mask or getting a vaccine or a booster if you're eligible. It might be a good time to consider getting a vaccine or booster if you can,鈥� Hirschhorn said.

鈥淲e continue to kind of hold our breath that the variants are going to continue along the same path. Maybe they're a little bit more transmissible, but we're not seeing hospitalizations go up. Variation is not always that predictable, so we鈥檙e grateful every time a new variant comes out that doesn鈥檛 cause a spike in hospitalizations.鈥�

Glen said they鈥檒l keep sequencing as the coronavirus continues to evolve, to let scientists, health care workers and the public know what they鈥檙e dealing with 鈥� and maintain their ready stance into the future. 鈥淚 think it's important that all the infrastructure and tools that have been put in place are maintained in some form or fashion to be able to be spun up again as needed.鈥�