Omicron BF.7

Context: 

The Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre has recently detected the first case of the Omicron sub-variant BF.7 in India. 

About

• Omicron BF. 7 is the latest sub-variant of the Omicron variant, first detected in Northwest China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.
• It is also known as the 'Omicron spawn'.
• This new variant is fast spreading to several other countries including the United States, UK, Australia and Belgium.
• Being a sub-variant of Omicron BA.5, BF.7 reportedly has enhanced immunity evasion in comparison to its parental strain.
• This means that people who have been infected before or have taken the COVID-19 vaccines can get infected with BF.7.

Symptoms:

• The symptom associated with the BF.7 sub-variant is similar to other sub-variants of Omicron.
• This includes headache, persistent cough, changes in sense of smell, chest pain, hearing loss and shaking, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, runny nose, sore throat and fatigue.