New Delhi: All of the Omicron sub-lineages in circulation in China are present in India, but in tiny numbers, and no local clustering of them has been observed anywhere in the nation, as per a source online.
The source claimed that the XBB subvariant continues to be the dominating sub-lineage in this area, followed by BA.2.75. In light of the most recent viral outbreak in China, the Indian Sars CoV-2 Consortium on Genomics (Insacog) met on Friday night and reviewed data from the neighboring nation. In contrast to the widely held belief that BF.7 dominated the outbreak in China, experts discovered that the data revealed that the BN and BQ series accounted for about half of the Omicron cases. The proportion of Covid patients in China who belong to the BF.7 sub-lineage is only 10–12%.
“The BN series dominates in China, accounting for 36% of Covid-19 cases, followed by the BQ series at 24%. BF.7 is approximately 7%,”they said.
According to the source, India need not be concerned because all the sub-lines currently circulating in China have also been isolated in India. However, he added, they are not causing cluster formation, severity, or hospitalization. In India, XBB predominates, accounting for 70% of cases, followed by BA.2.75 in 25–30% of instances.
BF.7 is identical to BA.5.2.1.7, a subvariant of the Omicron sub-lineage BA.5 in science.
“Insacog is on the lookout for minor variations. No other sub-lineage has gathered over the previous few weeks in India, except XBB ” he explained. At the meeting on Friday, members of Insacog also discussed the future strategy. The consortium emphasized the necessity of completing genome sequencing of all positive samples as soon as possible across the country.
Experts also agree that it will be fine until a noticeably unique lineage arises, given India’s high level of hybrid immunity. However, they emphasize the significance of receiving the prophylactic vaccine dose in light of the global increase in incidence.
“According to our understanding, two vaccinations, followed by a booster shot, should be sufficient to protect the entire population from symptoms of disease. We should prioritize vaccination of the booster dose in people over 60 and promote the use of masks and other preventive measures,” said Gautam Menon, an Ashoka University physics and biology professor.
