India is tightening its COVID policies as another wave of COVID sweeps China, though the situation is not alarming in the country. 4 confirmed cases of the new BF.7 Omicron variant have been detected in India among foreign travellers. This variant has become widespread in China, Japan, Korea, the US, and other nations.

According to Dr. Pavithra Venkatagopalan, a coronavirologist and expert in COVID awareness knowing the new variant′s genesis is crucial. It was possible that the variant have been circulating in India as few cases were reported in July, but their origin was uncertain. The rising concern is making people follow the COVID guidelines once more. 

Vaccines deployed in India have shown to be safe, protective and efficacious and many have taken their booster dose, though the booster dose campaign is slower. The booster shot gets your body ready to recall how to launch an immune response in the event of an attack. We know that the immune response lasts for 9 months, and it stays in the memory up to a year. 

The booster shot helps the body to recall how to start an immune response in case of infection. An immunological response lasts at least nine months and may even last up to a year in the memory.

In India, there were no clinically relevant data on the severity of this virus. However, this variant′s RO (reproductive factor) is 1:18, which suggests that 1 can infect up to 18 people. One sick person can spread the disease to everyone in a smaller group of 15 people. The likelihood of this virus mutating is increased by allowing it to spread among more people, which increases the number of people it will infect.

Hence the best way out was to be responsible personally. Isolation, maintaining social distancing, and masking in crowded places were as crucial as earlier.

(Source: https://health.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/industry/coronavirus-variant-bf-7-omicron-variants-transmissibility-is-high-one-can-infect-18-people/96471930)