More omicron subvariants found in Twin Cities sewage

Christopher Magan, Pioneer Press
·3 min read

The genetic material of more coronavirus variants is showing up in Twin Cities sewage as Minnesota continues to experience a spring surge in COVID-19 infections.

Data from the Metropolitan Council shows the highly-contagious omicron variant BA.2 represents about 97 percent of coronavirus in Twin Cities sewage. A subvariant of that strain, BA.2.12.1, which was first identified last week, now accounts for about 18 percent of virus genetic material.

The amount of coronavirus genetic material in Twin Cities sewage has grown 21 percent since last week.

Furthermore, Met Council officials say additional subvariants, BA.4 and BA.5, were discovered in wastewater April 29. Those strains were first detected in South Africa, where they are driving up infection rates.

It is unclear what impact the new subvariants will have on Minnesota’s already rising cases. The SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 has become more contagious as it has evolved over the more than two-year-old pandemic.

There’s also evidence the latest strains cause less serious illness, especially in those who are vaccinated.

Minnesota added 2,345 new infections Friday and the daily average for new infections is almost four times what it was a month ago. Nevertheless, the current rate of new cases is roughly 10 percent of what it was during the state’s worst surge in January.

Case counts provide increasingly limited information about the state’s outbreak as more people test at home and the state no longer tallies test-positivity rates.

Hospitalizations are rising slowly, but remain low and the rate of deaths has yet to see an uptick. There were 297 patients hospitalized Friday with COVID-19, including 24 in intensive care.

Four more COVID-19 fatalities were also reported, bringing the pandemic death toll to 12,525 in Minnesota since March 2020. Those who died included Ramsey County residents in their late 40s and early 90s and a Dakota County resident in their 70s.

Health officials maintain vaccines are the best way to avoid a severe illness and to slow the spread of the coronavirus. However, the protection provided by vaccines wanes considerably after five months and everyone 12 and older is encouraged to get a booster.

As the coronavirus evolves new strains, vaccines are less effective at preventing infection, but still help keep people out of the hospital and from dying, health officials said. Prior infection also offers some protection, but it is believed to wane even more rapidly than vaccines.

People over 50 and those with underlying health conditions that put them at higher risk are eligible for a second booster. Gov. Tim Walz and Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm got theirs Wednesday and encouraged other to do the same, with Malcolm saying the coronavirus should keep people “humble.”

Only about 57 percent of the more than 3.7 million Minnesotans who were initially vaccinated have gotten a booster. Health officials suspect that is why the majority of new infections in Minnesota are among the vaccinated — state breakthrough data does not include whether they had booster doses.

Minnesota has administered 9.8 million doses of vaccine, including 2.2 million boosters. Almost 67 percent of the state’s 5.7 million people have completed their initial series of shots.

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