New Sub-Lineage of SARS-CoV-2 RF.5 Variant Possibly Behind 4 Deaths, 12 Severe COVID-19 Cases in Andhra Pradesh, India
Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Jul 20, 2026 17 hours, 9 minutes ago
Medical News: RF.5 Sub-Lineage Detected as Authorities Review COVID-19 Situation
Andhra Pradesh has reported 12 COVID-19 cases and four deaths between June 26 and July 16, prompting state health officials to reinforce surveillance and preparedness measures. According to the Health Department, the four deceased patients had significant underlying medical conditions, including hypertension, diabetes and renal disease. Three fatalities occurred in Kadapa district, while one was reported from Kakinada. This
Medical News report highlights the emergence of a newly detected SARS-CoV-2 RF.5 sub-lineage and its possible role in these severe infections.
Newly detected RF.5 SARS-CoV-2 sub-lineage in Andhra Pradesh is under investigation following severe
COVID-19 cases and four reported deaths
Genome Sequencing Confirms Omicron RF.5 Presence
Health Minister Y. Satya Kumar Yadav reviewed genome sequencing findings received from the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune after four COVID-19 positive samples collected in Kadapa district were analyzed. The sequencing confirmed the presence of the Omicron RF.5 variant. Officials stated that the reported infections were sporadic rather than linked to a single outbreak, with Kadapa recording the highest number of cases, followed by Guntur, Visakhapatnam and Kakinada. While several patients remain under medical care or home isolation, others have recovered and been discharged.
Researchers Suggest New RF.5 Sub-Lineages May Be Emerging
Some Indian researchers have suggested that the detected viruses may not represent the original RF.5 lineage but could instead belong to newly evolving RF.5 sub-lineages carrying additional signature mutations. They have also noted reports of severe respiratory illnesses occurring alongside confirmed COVID-19 cases, raising questions about whether some infections could be linked to these emerging variants. (There has been a number of deaths and severe cases that were simply classified as due to respiratory issues and no COVID-19 testing was done on these cases, suggesting that actual numbers of deaths and severe cases in the state could be far much higher than that being reported! Also remember that the Delta strain and JN.1 strains actually originated from India before spreading globally!).
Local Indian researchers also say that these new sub-lineages are not spreading that fast but if they gain the right mutations, we could have another serious global surge as what happened with the Delta strain!
However, further genomic sequencing and epidemiological investigations are still required before any direct association can be confirmed. Health authorities continue to urge vigilance as COVID-19 cases persist across several Indian states.
Questions have also been raised by some observers regarding the completeness of publicly available COVID-19 data in India, although no official evidence has confirmed any underreporting in relation to the Andhra Pradesh cases. Additional official updates and sequencing information are expec
ted as this developing situation continues to be investigated.
Please note that this is a developing story and we will be providing more updates as we procure more valid data and links. At the moment there is a lot of misinformation spreading simply talking about the RF.5 strain and not the specific new sub-lineages and many stupids claiming that the current strains in the state does not cause disease severity!
References:
https://www.facebook.com/Timesnow/posts/andhra-pradesh-has-reported-12-covid-19-cases-and-four-deaths-between-june-26-an/1539294351575155/
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/vijayawada/omicron-rf-5-sub-variant-detected-in-four-covid-19-cases-reported-in-andhra-pradesh/articleshow/132500634.cms
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Medical News.
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