Three Cases Of Omicron Variant Driving China's Covid Surge Detected In India: Report

The Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre discovered the first BF.7 case in India in October.

A healthcare worker collects a swab sample of a woman for Covid-19 test.

Source : File Photo/PTI

Three cases of Omicron subvariant BF.7, which appears to be the strain responsible for China's current surge in Covid cases, have been found in India so far, official sources said on Wednesday, reported news agency PTI. The Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre discovered the first BF.7 case in India in October. They stated that Gujarat has reported two cases and Odisha has reported one case so far.

Experts at the Covid review meeting on Wednesday, which was presided over by Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, stated that, despite the fact that the overall caseload of Covid has not increased as of yet, it is necessary to continue surveillance in order to keep track of both existing variants and new variants.

Official sources quoted by PTI claim that the highly transmissible Omicron strain, most commonly BF.7, which is the main variant spreading in Beijing and is contributing to a larger surge in Covid infections in China, is currently affecting cities.

"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.

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

It has already been found in the United States, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Germany, France, and Denmark, among other European nations.

Wary of the rising Covid cases in China, the Ministry of Health has asked airport officials to screen every passenger coming from the neighbouring nation. Sources said screening of such passengers started at airports on Wednesday. 

The notification comes a day after the Centre asked states to send all positive samples for genome sequencing amid a sudden surge in COVID -19 cases in several countries. According to sources, flyers from other nations where incidents of Covid are on a rise may be subjected to random sampling for Covid-19.

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The government has also appealed to people to get precaution doses and advised heightened precautions for the elderly and those with comorbidities. However, it has been said that as of now there is no change in regard to aviation.

(With PTI Inputs)