New South Wales has detected a case of the XE COVID-19 variant, Australia's first recognized case, whereas Victoria has additionally recognized a brand new sub-variant regionally for the primary time.
NSW Well being authorities reported that the case of XE was detected in a just lately returned abroad traveller final week.
It was confirmed within the weekly COVID-19 surveillance report NSW Well being releases.
"That is the primary XE sequence to be recognized in NSW and was recognized in a just lately returned traveller," NSW Well being stated within the report.
"One other recombinant BA.1/BA.2 sequence has beforehand been recognized nevertheless it was not of the XE lineage."
There's little knowledge but on the transmissibility or severity of the brand new sub-variant.
Victorian well being authorities have additionally confirmed the detection of a brand new Omicron sub-variant in wastewater.
The sub-variant, which is believed to be both BA.4 or BA.5, has been confirmed from samples taken from the Tullamarine catchment.
"The sub-variant has been just lately detected in a small variety of circumstances in South Africa, Botswana, Belgium, Denmark, the UK and Germany," Victoria Well being stated.
"There are at present no recognized important epidemiological variations noticed between the brand new pressure and the BA.2 pressure."
The World Well being Organisation did be aware final month that XE could also be 10 per cent extra transmissible than the at present dominant BA.2 Omicron sub-variant.
The Omicron BA.2 sub-variant has been the dominant an infection in NSW for a number of weeks.
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NSW Well being prioritises the genomic sequencing of individuals hospitalised and admitted to ICU with COVID-19.
"Subsequently the proportion of VOCs (variants of concern) just isn't essentially reflective of their distribution in the neighborhood," NSW Well being stated within the report.