Explained: What is Covid variant BF.7 and how severe will it be in India?

The recent surge of Covid-19 across China, which has left the World Health Organisation "very concerned" and revived fears across the globe, including in India, is due to the highly transmissible Omicron strain BF.7, the main variant spreading in Beijing.

The world health body urged Beijing to accelerate vaccination of the most vulnerable amid this unprecedented wave. The strain has already been detected in several other countries, including the US, the UK and European nations such as Belgium, Germany, France and Denmark.

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The surge in China’s Covid cases has acted as a warning for several countries including India that Covid may have subdued for a while but it is certainly not over. In order to keep up with the situation, several meetings are being held in India over the variant to avoid a China-like situation.

"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 told PTI.

Here is what we know so far:

What is BF.7?

BF.7 is a sub-lineage of the Omicron variant BA.5 and has the strongest infection ability, has a shorter incubation period, and a higher capacity to cause reinfection or infect even those vaccinated. 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 and one from Odisha, they said.

India on its toes

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will review the situation related to Covid-19 in the country at a high-level meeting this afternoon, officials said, a day after Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya reviewed the situation.

In the meeting chaired by Mandaviya, experts said although there is no overall increase in Covid-19 caseload as of now, there is a need for continued surveillance to keep a track of existing and emerging variants. The minister asked people to follow Covid-appropriate behaviour including wearing masks in crowded places, and to get vaccinated.

Noting that only 27 to 28 per cent of India's eligible population have taken the Covid precaution dose, NITI Aayog member (Health) Dr V K Paul told people not to panic and said people should take the jab and also wear masks in crowded places, especially those with comorbidities.

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After the review meeting, Mandaviya said Covid-19 is not over yet. "I have directed all concerned to be alert and strengthen surveillance. We are prepared to manage any situation."

During the meeting, it was highlighted that Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telangana and Tamil Nadu are the top five states contributing in terms of new Covid cases even though there is a consistent decline in the overall caseload in the country.

What do experts have to say?

"China is now experiencing the typical Omicron surge that other countries have already witnessed, and just like the one Hong Kong saw when it relaxed its restrictions,” former head of India’s genome sequencing consortium Dr Anurag Agarwal told The Indian Express.

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“For us, the Omicron wave looked milder because the population was protected with previous infection and vaccination. Plus, we have already paid the price, so to say, during the Delta wave (of April-May 2021). People died but those who survived had better immunity. Other than that, Omicron has mainly been killing its elderly victims and we (India) do have a younger population,” Dr Agrawal added. He also said that an increase in the number of cases is not a determinant of the severity of the infection or rising deaths.

“SARS-CoV-2 is now a human virus and it is here to stay. There could be an increase in the number of Covid-19 cases in the winters when we usually see an increase in all respiratory infections,” Dr Ekta Gupta, professor of virology at the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, is quoted as saying in the report.

So far the spread of the new strain of Covid is under control in India, however, the government will again hold a meeting next week to monitor the situation.

(With agency inputs)