Fear of the fourth wave of Kovid-19: China has been hit hard by a new wave of COVID-19, with public health experts warning that new waves of infections in a short period of time could give rise to new forms of the virus. There is currently a surge in coronavirus cases in Chinese cities, according to health officials Powered by highly infectious Omicron strains, mainly BA.5.2 and BF.7. Omicron’s BF.7 variant wreaking havoc in the capital Beijing has been described as the fastest-spreading coronavirus.
China has stopped testing people since easing its strict zero-Covid policy restrictions following unprecedented protests. Until the beginning of this month, people going to public places were required to be tested almost every day the result was negative. However, with no testing now in place, concerns have been raised about whether it is possible to track any change as the country of 1.4 billion people grapples with a surge in cases at the same time as testing requirements have been eased has gone.
The high transmissibility of BF.7 in China is attributed to a Low level of immunity in Chinese population From previous infection and possibly also from vaccination.
What is Omicron subvariant BF.7?
BF.7 is a sub-lineage of the Omicron version BA.5. It has the strongest infection potential because it is highly contagious.
It has a short incubation period, and a high potential to cause reinfection or even infect vaccinated people.
Omicron subvariants have so far been detected in several countries including China, USA, UK, Belgium, Germany, France and Denmark.
3 cases of Omicron’s BF.7 variant, which is driving the surge of COVID-19 in China, reported in India
so far, Only three cases of the Omicron subvariant BF.7 have been detected in India.
The first case of BF.7 in India was detected in October by the Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre. While two cases have been reported from Gujarat, one is from Odisha.
Covid-19 fourth wave fear: Signs to watch for rising cases in China
The COVID-19 virus affects different people in different ways, and most infected people develop mild to moderate illness and recover without hospitalization.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), here are the most common symptoms of Covid-19:
- Fever
- Cough
- fatigue
- loss of taste or smell
Less common symptoms of coronavirus:
- sore throat
- Headache
- aches and pains
- diarrhea
- skin rash, or discoloration of the fingers or toes
- red or irritated eyes
Severe symptoms of COVID-19:
- difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
- loss of speech or mobility, or confusion
- Pain in chest
It takes an average of 5-6 days for symptoms to appear after a person has been infected with the virus, although it can take up to 14 days.