3 Cases of Omicron Variant BF.7 Behind China's Covid Surge Found in India. Should You Be Worried?

Omicron variant BF.7, the Covid-19 variant responsible for a sudden rise in cases in China, has also made its way to India, as 3 such cases have been detected in the country. The first case of BF.7 in India was detected in October by Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre.

So far, two cases have been reported from Gujarat while one case has been reported from Odisha, a PTI report said on Wednesday. Despite 3 cases of this variant being detected in India, there hasn’t been an overall surge in Covid cases in the country.

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya chaired a Covid-19 review meeting on Wednesday, where experts said there is a need for continued surveillance to keep a track of existing and emerging variants.

With Omicron BF.7 Cases detected, Should Indians be worried?

Omicron variant BF.7 is said to be the primary cause behind the extreme surge in Covid cases, and Covid-related deaths in China. However, India has been detecting these strains and data from India’s SARS CoV 2 genomic surveillance programme, or INSACOG. BF.7 has been present here for months.

Hence, experts aren’t too worried with such cases making its way to India. This is because the few highly transmissible variants of Omicron spreading across China are not particularly unique.

What is Omicron BF.7 Wreaking Havoc in China?

Chinese cities are currently hit by the highly transmissible Omicron strain, mostly BF.7 which is the main variant spreading in Beijing and is contributing to a wider surge of Covid infections in that country.

“The BF.7’s high transmissibility in China might be attributed to a low level of immunity in the Chinese population from the previous infection and possibly vaccination too,” an official source said.

BF.7 is a sub-lineage of the Omicron variant BA.5 and has the strongest infection ability since it is highly transmissible, has a shorter incubation period, and has a higher capacity to cause reinfection or infect even those vaccinated.

The variant has already been detected in several other countries, including the US, the UK, and European nations such as Belgium, Germany, France, and Denmark.

(With PTI Inputs)

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