Omicron BF.7 strain, a new Covid-19 strain that has wreaked havoc in China, has shown its presence in India as well. So far, four cases of Omicron BF.7 strain have been detected in India in the past six months. The highly infectious strain has been reported in Gujarat (2) and Odisha (1). Unlike China, the new substrain of coronavirus has not affected many individuals yet, but the Centre has directed all states and union territories to remain cautious. However, the ANI news agency stated that there are currently 10 different variants of Covid-19 in the country, with the latest being BF.7.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to chair a high-level meeting to review the Covid-19 situation and its related aspects in the country.
It is a new mutation of coronavirus which is very quick to transfer to other people and has a short incubation period as well.
According to a report by Hindustan Times, Livemint's sister publication, it has been suspected that 60% of people in China will be infected by this variant in the next three months. Meanwhile, the virus has caused great distress around the globe including in the US, Hong Kong, South Kore, Japan, and Brazil. Eric Dengi, an epidemiologist from China stated, "this virus can lead to the deaths of millions across China in the next few months".
Yesterday, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya chaired a high-level meeting to review the prevailing Covid-19 situation in the country. Mandaviya urged people to follow Covid-appropriate behavior and get vaccinated against Covid-19. Emphasizing that the pandemic is not over yet, he asked officials to be fully geared up to challenge and step up surveillance.
**What is BF.7 strain?
**The variant is mutant of the Omicron and has one of the highest transmissibility amongst all Covid variants. The R0 value of this mutant as per studies is approximately 10-18.6 which means that any infected individual can infect 10-18.6 people around him.
People who are not vaccinated or have weaker immunity such as elderly citizens and children are at high risk of catching this infection.
Here's all you need to know about Omicron BF.7 symptoms:
The symptoms are similar to previous variants of Covid-19 such as infection of the respiratory tract, fever, cough, sore throat, muscle pain, fatigue, etc.
Pneumonia is another symptom that is seen in the elderly population or people with an underlying condition.
Omicron BF.7: Precautions
The first and foremost precaution, people need to take is wearing masks in crowded areas, and taking booster doses. According to NITI Aayog member (Health) Dr V K Paul, 27-28% of India's eligible population have taken the precautionary dose of Covid-19 to date. Covid vaccination and booster shots can help prevent complications of the subvariants.
With the holiday season around the corner, people with low immunity should be extra cautious. They must maintain proper hygiene. Test-Track-Treat-Vaccinate is another strategy to mitigate the risk of the Omicron BF.7 variant.
Covid cases in India:
On Thursday, India logged 185 new coronavirus infections, while the active cases declined to 3,402.
A decrease of six cases has been recorded in the active Covid-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.
The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,41,42,432, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.19%. One Covid-related eath was reported from Delhi in the last 24 hours. Overall, 5,30,681 people have died due to coronavirus in India so far, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Thursday.
According to the ministry's website, 220.03 crore doses of Covid vaccine have been administered in the country so far under the nationwide vaccination drive.