Covid-19 fourth wave scare: Omicron sub-variant BF.7 driving surge in China, here are symptoms to watch out for

Covid-19 fourth wave scare: China has been hit badly by a new wave of Covid-19 with public health experts warning that fresh waves of the infection over a short period of time might give rise to new variants of the virus. According to health officials, the surge in coronavirus cases in Chinese cities is currently driven by highly transmissible Omicron strains, mainly BA.5.2 and BF.7. The BF.7 variant of Omicron, which is wreaking havoc in the capital city of Beijing, is stated to be the fastest spreading coronavirus. 

China has stopped testing people since it relaxed its strict zero-Covid policy restrictions following unprecedented protests. Till early this month people needed to test almost every day to visit public places with negative test results. However, with no testing now, concerns have been raised about whether it is possible to track any changes as the country of 1.4 billion population battles a surge in cases at the same time as testing requirements have been scaled back.

The BF.7's high transmissibility in China is attributed to a low level of immunity in the Chinese population from the previous infection and possibly vaccination too.

What is Omicron subvariant BF.7?

BF.7 is a sub-lineage of the Omicron variant BA.5. It has the strongest infection ability since it is highly transmissible.

It has a shorter incubation period, and a higher capacity to cause reinfection or infect even those vaccinated.

The Omicron subvariant has so far been detected in several countries, including China, the US, the UK, Belgium, Germany, France and Denmark.

3 cases of Omicron's BF.7 variant, which is driving China's Covid-19 surge, recorded in India

So far, just three cases of Omicron subvariant BF.7 have been detected in India.

The first case of BF.7 in India was detected in October by Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre. While two cases have been reported from Gujarat, one is from Odisha.

Covid-19 fourth wave scare: Symptoms to watch out for as cases rise in China

The Covid-19 virus affects different people in different ways and most infected people develop mild to moderate illness and recover without hospitalization.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), here are the most common symptoms of Covid-19:

• Fever
   
• Cough
   
• Tiredness
   
• Loss of taste or smell

Less common symptoms of coronavirus:

• Sore throat
   
• Headache
   
• Aches and pains
   
• Diarrhoea
   
• A rash on the skin, or discolouration of fingers or toes
   
• Red or irritated eyes

Serious symptoms of Covid-19:

• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
   
• Loss of speech or mobility, or confusion
   
• Chest pain

On average it takes 5–6 days from when someone is infected with the virus for symptoms to show, however it can take up to 14 days.