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Omicron BF.7 In India, Risk Of Fresh Wave During Diwali: What You Should Know

The Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre recently reported that the first case of the Omicron BF.7 subvariant in India has been detected. Due to the emergence of these new subvariants, capable of surpassing immunity from previous infections and vaccinations, precautions must be taken before the forthcoming Diwali festivities.

"The next two to three weeks are crucial. Covid-19 is still around, and new variants are being reported in different parts of the world. We cannot remain unscathed from them. So, we need to be careful as festivals are a few days ahead," said Dr NK Arora, chairman National Technical Advisory Group of Immunization (NTAGI) [1].

Omicron BF.7 In India

Omicron BF.7 In India: Everything You Need To Know

According to health experts, there has been a recent surge in COVID-19 cases in China attributed to variants BF.7 and BA.5.1.7.

  • The new variants BA.5.1.7 and BF.7 are referred to as Omicron spawn.
  • On 11 October, a new variant dubbed 'Omicron spawn', also known as BA.5.1.7 and BF 7, was discovered in the inner autonomous region of Mongolia in China. According to reports, the prevalence of this variant in the United States has doubled in the past two weeks (from 0.8 to 1.7 per cent). Approximately 15-25 per cent of these cases can be found in European countries such as the United Kingdom, Germany, and France [2].
  • The new sub-variant BA.5.1.7 of Omicron is highly infectious and more transmissible than previous variants.
  • The symptoms of Covid BF.7 include sore throat, congestion, fatigue, cough, and runny nose. Experts predict that more symptoms will emerge as time goes on [3].
  • Research has shown that BF.7 can escape antibodies from earlier illnesses or vaccinations better than many other omicron variants [4].
  • Even though the infection is believed to be at an early stage and no substantial mutations have occurred to make conclusive arguments, BF.7 has nevertheless shown signs of making its way beyond the layer of immune response induced by vaccination.
  • As any mutation of a virus carries an advantage over its wild type, this variant of Omicron BF7 is more immunologically evasive. It can counter antibodies that may be present in individuals from prior infections.
  • The Diwali festival is just around the corner, and Delhi is again experiencing an increase in cases of Covid-19, with the test positivity rate surpassing 2 per cent.
Omicron BF.7 In India

On Saturday, Mumbai in Maharashtra recorded 180 new cases of COVID-19, while Karnataka reported 163 new cases of the virus. Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, on the other hand, reported comparatively fewer cases, at 28 and 68, respectively [5].

How To Have A Safe Diwali 2022

  • Maintain social distancing.
  • Make the face mask an integral part of your attire [6].
  • Keep in mind that both smog and Coronavirus can affect the respiratory system of the human body during Diwali, so do not inhale toxins. Also, keep away from crackers and fireworks because they release dangerous air pollutants that can trigger asthmatic conditions if inhaled.
  • Keep a sanitiser on hand at all times.
  • The use of cotton garments is preferred over the use of synthetic garments, particularly for children and the elderly.
  • Whenever possible, avoid congested and high-traffic areas during the event since these areas have poor air quality and are more polluted.
  • If possible, stay indoors and stay safe.

On A Final Note...

The emergence of these new sub-variants that are capable of exceeding immunity makes it imperative to take precautions in advance of the upcoming 5-day festival of Diwali, which begins on 21 October.

As far as symptoms are concerned, experts say that they are not certain because not everyone is sequencing the data (at the moment), so we may not be able to correlate the severity of a disease with the variant, so we are going to have to wait and see what the results will be.

There is no certainty of data indicating that this virus will transmit, leading to high levels of infection. However, most people are not tested with genomic sequencing, so there is not a lot of data directly pinpointing infection severity based on the sequence of the variant.