Health experts have sounded the alarm after the discovery of a new mutation of the Omicron coronavirus variant in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong has been hit by its worst Covid-19 wave to date, recording the world's highest coronavirus death rate.
A doctor from a Senate committee on public health posted online that Omicron has mutated into three subvariants (BA.1, BA.2, and BA.3).
He wrote that the number of infections and deaths in Hong Kong has reached a record high which has coincided with the emergence of the BA.2.2 subvariant.
He said that high numbers of cases make mutation more likely.
There are currently about 5,000 infections and 30 deaths per million people in Hong Kong each week.
Despite the larger number of cases, the mortality rate is also higher for those infected with BA.2.2.
Most of the deaths in Hong Kong remain among the elderly and unvaccinated.
The new variant has yet to be found in Thailand.
