Scientists in New Orleans have detected two new subvariants of the COVID-19 Omicron variant, Louisiana State University announced on Tuesday.
According to the university, three cases of the BE.1 and one case of the BF.1 were discovered at the LSU Health Precision Medicine Lab after a series of tests conducted in late June. Researchers say the subvariants had not yet been detected in the United States until now.
“Their possible clinical and public health significance is still unknown,” head of Genetics and facility co-director Dr. Lucio Miele said in a statement Tuesday. Miele says that while doctors aren’t sure how the variants originated, they will be comparing these samples with other cases across the state to learn more about how humans and animals contract, battle, and spread different variants of the disease.