The rise in infections of Covid-19 in China has been attributed to the emergence of the BF.7 sub-variant of the virus. This variant was introduced in October and has since replaced the dominant ones in various European and US countries.
What we know about BF-7 so far
Viruses mutate and create sub-lineages and lineages. For instance, the main trunk of a SARS-CoV-2 tree has numerous sub-branches. On the other hand, the BF.7 is similar to BA.5.2.1.7.
A study published in the journal Cell Host and Microbe revealed that the sub-variant of the virus, known as BF.7, has a significantly higher resistance to neutralization than the original D614G version. This means that the antibodies generated from infected individuals or vaccinated individuals were not able to completely destroy the virus.
The study also noted that the BF.7 sub-variant is not as resilient as other Omicron sub-variants. For instance, the BQ.1 variant exhibits a 10-fold higher neutralization resistance.
The higher resistance to neutralization means that the BF.7 variant is more likely to cause a population-wide spread.
In October, the BF.7 variant was responsible for over 5% of the cases in the US and over 7.26% of the cases in the UK. Although scientists were closely monitoring the situation, the number of cases and hospitalizations in these countries did not significantly increase.
How BF.7 came to India
In India, the January 2022 wave was driven by the BA.1. and BA.2 variants of Omicron. The other sub-variants that followed, such as BA.4, were not as common in the country as those in European nations. As a result, India only saw a few cases of the BF.7 variant.
According to data collected by India’s national genome sequencing network, the BA.5 lineage only contributed 2.5% of the country’s total cases in November. The XBB, a recombinant variant, was the most common type of variant in the country.
Experts believe that the increase in the number of cases in China was not the result of the higher immune evasiveness or transmissibility of the BF.7 variant, but an immunological-naive population.
Dr. Anurag Agarwal, a former official of India’s INSACOG told the Indian Express China’s emergence of the Omicron surge was similar to Hong Kong when it decided to ease its restrictions.
He also noted that the Omicron wave was considered mild due to the protection provided by the vaccination and previous infection. However, the virus has since killed many of its victims, especially the elderly.
Despite the presence of highly transmissible components, the number cases remained relatively low. Most people who got sick with the virus recovered quickly.
He also noted that the countries that avoided paying the most amount of the pandemic cost were those that were able to vaccinate their entire population. These included Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand.
He also noted that the number of infections was no longer important as the rise in cases was not accompanied by a significant increase in the severity of the illness.
Can B7.5 trigger another wave of pandemic worldwide
According to Dr. Ekta Gupta, a virologist at the Institute of Biliary and Liver Sciences, a new variant of the disease could emerge as a result of the increased transmission in China.
She also noted that the changes in the spike protein’s mutations have slowed down, which has prevented new variants from emerging. According to her, the distance between the original D614G and Delta variants was much greater than what we are seeing now.