Nepal on Friday confirmed the spread of the Covid sub-lineages KP.1, KP.2, KP.3, and KP.4 in the country.

All the sub-variants are offshoots of the Omicron variant, which is considered responsible for the surge in new cases of coronavirus in the last few weeks.

The National Public Health Laboratory, which carried out whole-genome sequencing on swab samples of coronavirus-infected persons, said that 31 out of 42 swab samples tested positive for different sub-lineages.

According to a statement issued by the laboratory, the KP.2 sub-variant was confirmed in 17 swab samples, KP.1 in 12, and KP.3 and KP.4 in one sample each. Similarly, Omicron’s JN.1 was detected in 7 swab samples, and BA.2 was detected in 2 swab samples.

“The Omicron’s variants JN.1 and KP.2 have high prevalence, which accounts for nearly 40 percent of samples run for sequencing,” reads the statement.

The KP.2 is a member of a group of SARS-CoV-2 variants, also called “FliRT” variants.

Whole-genome sequencing is a comprehensive method of analysing the entire DNA sequence of an organism’s genes. Researchers believe that whole-genome sequencing of coronavirus could be instrumental in tracking the virus's severity and properties.

Nepal confirmed the spread of the JN.1 sub-variant of the coronavirus in the country in January. Given its rapid spread around the globe, the World Health Organisation classifies JN.1 as a separate ‘variant of interest’. However, the UN health body said that based on available data, “the additional public health risk posed by JN.1 is currently evaluated as low”.

The UN health body has classified KP.2 as a variant under monitoring. There is no indication that KP.1 and KP.2 are more transmissible or cause more severe disease than other circulating variants.

Swab samples were collected from Covid-infected persons in April and May, according to the laboratory.

Hospitals in Kathmandu had reported a surge in serious cases of Covid infection in April. Doctors attending the infected patients had said that elderly people and those with underlying conditions were getting severe.

Health authorities nationwide have stopped active case findings, including contact tracing and free testing for all, after the second wave of the pandemic subsided in 2021. Hospitals have been carrying out tests only on those seeking polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing to go abroad or seriously ailing patients with respiratory illness.

Several countries, including India and Singapore, have reported infection with the KP.2 and KP.1 sub-variants of the coronavirus. According to media reports, India has recorded 324 cases of Covid, including 290 cases of KP.2 and 34 cases of KP.1.

Experts say almost all variants of the coronavirus present in India have found their way into Nepal. Even if the JN.1 sub-variant is not as deadly as the Delta variant, the virus still poses a serious threat to the elderly and people with compromised immunity.

Over 12,000 people died, and hundreds of thousands were infected in the first, second and third waves of the Covid pandemic.