Coronavirus variants BF.7, XBB spreading fast: What new threat do they pose?

Fresh COVID-19 cases are on the decline in India – 2060 cases were recorded in the last 24 hours. But new Omicron variants continue to emerge. The one spreading fast across the world is the BF.7 and India is not shielded from it.

The first case of BF.7 has been detected in the country by the Gujarat Biotechnology Research centre. It is considered to be highly infectious with greater transmissibility.

Also read: New XBB COVID-19 strain in 4 Indian states: How wary should we be of this ‘immunity-evasive’ variant?

Where did BF.7 emerge?

The Omicron variant emerged in Mongolia and is now spreading to other countries, posing new threats. It is one of the variants responsible for the spike in cases in China.

The variant is also spreading to the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Belgium.

The US Centre for Disease Control said BF.7 accounts for 5.3 per cent of the cases and is being monitored as a variant of concern along with BQ.1 and BQ.1.1.

According to the UK Health Security Agency, BF.7 accounted for 7.26 per cent of cases. It is showing a relative growth advantage of 17.95 per cent over BA.5, reports The Indian Express.

What about India?

BF.7 has been detected in the country. Experts have advised COVID-19-appropriate behaviour ahead of the festive season.

Dr Sanjay Dhall, director of Internal Medicine at Max Hospital, told Livemint, “Omicron BF.7 was previously the subject of a warning from the World Health Organization (WHO), which said that it was expected to replace the existing dominant variant.”

He added that like all Omicron variants it “can escape the immune system”.

What are the symptoms of BF.7?

The symptoms of BF.7 subvariant include continuous coughing, difficulty in hearing, chest pain, and quivering. It could also affect the sense of smell.

Is there a reason to worry?

Health experts have said that the festival season is when people gather in large numbers and tend to forget about social distancing. They have suggested that masks should be worn and crowded places should be avoided to ensure the subvariant does not spread.

Are there other variants spreading in India?

In India, it’s the XBB variant that is also causing concern with an increase in cases in states like Maharashtra – there has been a 17.7 per cent rise in coronavirus cases in the state. A hybrid of Omicron’s BA.2.75 and BJ.1 subvariants, it was first discovered in Singapore in August and has been linked to a significant increase in Covid-19 cases on the island.

According to a Maharashtra health official department bulletin, the XBB variant reported had “growth advantage over BA.2.75 and immune evasive property”. The BA.2.3.20 and BQ.1 variants were also discovered in the state, a first for the country.

There has been a rise in cases in Maharashtra’s densely populated areas like Mumbai, Thane, and Raigad. “Some experts predict a rise (in cases) in the coming winter season, particularly in festive environs,” the bulletin warned.

At least 10-15 per cent of samples sequenced in India show the presence of XBB, Hindustan Times reports.

Kerala, one of the worst-hit states in the pandemic, is stepping up preventive measures. State Health Minister Veena George in a statement said as the new genetic variants — XBB and XBB1 — of Covid-19 are more contagious than earlier ones, everyone — especially the elderly and those suffering from co-morbidities — should be more careful and wear masks properly for self-protection, reports News18.

While new variants are emerging, BA.2.75 remains the dominant variant in India. According to a recent study by Chinese researchers, this variant, too, has high antibody resistance.

Does this mean another wave is coming?

There is a likelihood of cases seeing a spike because of crowding during the festive season. “Cases are likely to increase, but not because of any variant. It would be because people are coming together during the festivals, hardly masking anymore,” Dr Sudhanshu Vrati, director of Regional Centre of Biotechnology, Haryana told The Indian Express.

However, he said that the emerging variants are “more transmissible” and “better cable to escape immunity”.

The number of serious cases has reduced in the country and there are few hospitalisations.

With inputs from agencies

Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,
India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.