India has reported three cases of Omicron subvariant BF.7, the strain behind the sudden surge in the number of Covid-19 cases in China, officials said on Wednesday. The first case was detected in October by Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre.
Gujarat has reported two cases so far, while Odisha one, PTI reported. However, the country has not yet witnessed an overall surge in the number of Covid-19 cases.
BF.7 is a sub-lineage of the Omicron variant BA.5 and has the strongest infection ability since it is highly transmissible, has a shorter incubation period, and has a higher capacity to cause reinfection or infect even those vaccinated. It has already been detected in several other countries, including the US, the UK and European nations such as Belgium, Germany, France and Denmark.
In the wake of the global surge in cases, India has started random sampling of international passengers at airports across the country.
Meanwhile, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya reviewed the Covid-19 situation on Wednesday and asked people to follow Covid-appropriate behaviour, including wearing masks in crowded places, and get vaccinated.
"Covid is not over yet. I have directed all concerned to be alert and strengthen surveillance. We are prepared to manage any situation," he said.
NITI Aayog member (Health) Dr V.K. Paul noted that only 27-28 per cent of India's eligible population have taken the precaution dose. He urged people not to panic and said that there was no change in the guidelines for international air travel so far.
The meeting was held in the wake of reports of surge in Covid-19 cases in several countries including China, Japan, South Korea, France and the United States.
Mandaviya noted the importance of being prepared and remaining alert against new and emerging strains of Covid-19, especially in view of the upcoming festive season. He also directed for strengthening the surveillance system for whole genome sequencing of positive case samples to track the variants through Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) network to ensure timely detection of newer variants.
“States/UTs have been requested to send samples of all COVID-19 positive cases to INSACOG Genome Sequencing Laboratories (IGSLs) on a daily basis, for sequencing, to track new variants, if any,” said a health ministry statement.
During the meeting, the minister was informed that India has been witnessing a steady decline in cases with average daily cases falling to 158 in the week ending December 19. However, a consistent rise in global daily average cases remains a worry.