The BF is thought to be responsible for the recent increase in Covid-19 infections in China. 7 different sub variants of Omicron are in use there.

According to two senior officials who attended a meeting called by Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Wednesday, four cases of the Omicron subvariant had been genome-sequenced in individuals in Gujarat and Odisha in the subsequent months, but it was not connected to increased severity or infectiousness in the two States.

“COVID is not over yet. I have directed all concerned to be on the alert, and strengthen surveillance. I also urge people to take COVID vaccination,” said Mr. Mandaviya.

According to information released on Wednesday by the State's Health and Family Welfare department, Omicron BF.7 was found in Odisha in a single sample examined on September 30, 2022. It was neither a VOC (Variant of Concern) nor VOI at the time of testing (Variant of Interest). No more BF.7 samples have been found in Odisha in the three months since, it was added.

With an average of 158 instances each day in the week ending December 19, India has been reporting a "steady drop" in cases. However, there has been an increase in daily average cases globally over the past six weeks, with approximately 6 lakh instances reported weekly as of December 19, according to a statement from the Health Ministry. "A greater spike of covid infections in China has been revealed to be caused by a novel and highly transmissible BF.7 strain of the Omicron variety," it was stated.

Omicron AB5, which is connected to BF.7, is currently the most prevalent variety in India, albeit this is based on very few samples. The "zero COVID policy" in China, which was in place since 2020 before being modified last month, was largely to blame, according to government sources involved in India's COVID-19 management strategy. They contend that as a result, a significant proportion of individuals who had never been exposed to variations like Alpha and Delta are now infected with the Omicron subvariant.

The true concern for India was not BF.7 but rather XBB, a recombinant variety made up of two lineages (BJ.1 and BA.2.75) that was "extremely infectious," had caused an outbreak in numerous nations, and had the capacity to defy the immune responses induced by current vaccinations. The concern is that China's sizable population is little exposed to the virus and that if exposed to something like XBB, it could spread even more recent strains that may have a variety of negative health effects. Although it's almost probable that an Omicron-linked mutation is to blame for China's present increase, the theory that BF.7 is to blame is only a supposition based on extremely few data, according to Vinod Scaria of the CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology.

However, modelling studies predict that an increase in travel will generate a surge in cases in China in early January and two additional spikes in mid-January and February. According to some assessments, China might soon see a million COVID-19 fatalities. Less than half of Chinese adults over 80 years old have had the triple vaccination, despite the fact that 90% of the population has received vaccinations.

Only about 28% of people over the age of 18 in India have received three doses of the approximately 2.2 crore vaccines that have already been given. Three doses of the vaccine are encouraged by official government policy.