Omicron subvariant driving Covid surge in China detected in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: Omicron subvariant BF.7, which has led to massive surge in Covid cases in China, has been detected in Odisha.

There is rise in Covid cases in China, Japan, the US, S. Korea, and Brazil.

According to the Health & Family Welfare Department, the subvariant BF.7 was detected in a single sample tested on September 30 this year.

The RT-PCR testing of the sample was done on demand, for a female of Khordha district.

Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC), Bhubaneswar did the genome sequencing for this sample. At the time of testing, it was neither a VOC (Variant of Concern) or VOI (Variant of Interest).

The lady tested was asymptomatic at time of test. She got tested for her travel to USA. She and her family are in the USA since October. None of them have any flu like symptoms since their departure from India.

In the 3 months since no other sample of BF.7 has been detected in Odisha, the department said.

Meanwhile, the Odisha government directed officials to strengthen surveillance system for whole genome sequencing in view of surge in Covid cases in different countries.

The district authorities have been asked to send all RTPCR positive samples to nearest INSACOG lab and initiate cluster containment measures.