Health ministry: Omicron subvariant BA.5 found in Iran

The Iranian ministry of health says some cases of Omicron subvariant BA.5 have been detected in Iran, warning it can become the dominant strain of Covid-19 virus and trigger a new outbreak in the country.

The confirmation comes as health experts have raised the alarm over the growing number of coronavirus cases in Iran during the past days.

BA.5 seems to be one of the primary drivers behind a recent spike in Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations across the world, most notably in the United States.

It accounted for around 54% of the infections recorded in the United States last week, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

On Monday, Dr. Payam Tabarsi, a top Iranian infectious decease specialist, said the number of cases in Iran has been increasing since last week and called on people to observe health protocols and get the booster shots.

Dr. Alireza Zali, the head of the Tehran Coronavirus Combat Taskforce, also confirmed an 18-percent growth in the number of patients in the capital since past week.

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