• Here is a list of Covid variant names with the latest updates. Currently, the Highly transmissible BF.7 strain is believed to be behind the current surge in Covid infections in China.
• The SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 is constantly mutating. Here SARS-CoV-2 stands for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2.
• Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have seen several distinct variants of the COVID-19 virus, including alpha, beta, delta, and omicron.
• The World Health Organization has been monitoring and evaluating the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 since January 2020.
Covid variant names latest list
| Sl.No | Who label | Pango lineage | First Outbreak |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Omicron | B.1.1.529 | South Africa |
| 2 | Omicron Subvariant | BF.7 or BA.5.2.1.7 | China |
| 3 | Omicron Subvariant | XE | United Kingdom |
| 3 | Omicron Subvariant | BA.2 | United States |
| 3 | Alpha | B.1.1.7 | United Kingdom |
| 4 | Beta | B.1.351 | South Africa |
| 5 | Gamma | P.1 | Brazil |
| 6 | Delta | B.1.617.2 | India |
| 6 | Delta Subvariant | AY.4.2 | England |
| 7 | Mu | B.1.621 | Colombia |
| 8 | Lambda | C.37 | Peru |
| 9 | Eta | B.1.525 | UK and Nigeria |
| 10 | Iota | B.1.526 | USA |
| 11 | Kappa | B.1.617.1 | India |
| 12 | Epsilon | B.1.427 / B.1.429 | Los Angeles, USA |
| 13 | Theta | P.3 | Philippines |
| 14 | Zeta | P.2 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
| 16 | IHU | B.1.640.2 | France |
| 17 | Deltacron | XD | Cyprus |
How many variants of covid are there?
• According to the World Health Organization, there are 16 variants of Covid-19 such as:
• Omicron
• Alpha
• Beta
• Gamma
• Delta
• Mu
• Lambda
• Eta
• Iota
• Kappa
• Epsilon
• Theta
• Zeta
• XE
• IHU
• Deltacron
XE Variant -Web story
Variants of covid 19 in India
Two variants of covid in India: Delta and Kappa
• As of December 2022, only two corona variants have been found in India, delta and kappa.
• Delta (B.1.617.2) and Kappa variants (B.1.617) were both variants of SARS-CoV-2. The delta variant was first detected in India in late 2020 and the kappa variant was first detected in India in December 2020.
• The Delta variant was named on 31 May 2021 and had spread to over 179 countries by 22 November 2021.
• BA.1, BA.2, BA.3, and NowBF.7 are all sublineages of the omicron (B.1.1.529) variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).
New variants of covid 19 in India: BF7
• The BF.7 is a sub-variant of SARS-CoV-2 first identified in China in September 2022.
• Four Covid-19 cases have been reported in India due to the BF.7 variant, which has led to a rapid increase in infections in China since July.
• As per the official data. Three cases were reported from Gujarat and one was confirmed from Odisha.
Covid new sub-variant of omicron
• A new sub-variant of the Omicron, BF.7 was first reported in late September 2022 in China’s Yantai and Shaoguan districts.
• The Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant was first reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) on 24 November 2021 by the Network for Genomic Surveillance in South Africa.
• A study published earlier this month in the journal Cell Host and Microbe reported that the BF.7 sub-variant has 4.4 times greater neutralization resistance.
• A higher neutralization resistance means a higher probability of the variant spreading and replacing other variants in a population.
• According to reports, the BF.7 omicron variant spreads rapidly, has a short incubation period, and easily infects people regardless of vaccination status.
BF.7 Omicron sub-variant Symptoms and precautions
What are the symptoms of Omicron subvariant BF.7?
• Symptoms of Omicron subvariant BF.7 are quite similar to other subvariants like BA.1, and BA.2.
• The most common symptoms are runny nose, sore throat, fever, cough, vomiting, fatigue, and diarrhea.
• However, people who have not yet received the vaccine or who have weakened immune systems and have pre-existing medical conditions are more prone to develop severe disease from this variant.
What are the precautions?
• Follow social distancing rules.
• Wash your hands frequently with hand sanitizer.
• Don’t forget to wear a mask.
• Avoid crowded areas.
• Take booster doses
[According to Dr VK Paul (Member of NITI Aayog)
, 27-28% of India’s eligible population has received precautionary doses of Covid-19 so far.]
Points to remember about BF.7 sub-variant
• BF.7 is a subvariant of Omicron.
• BF.7 also known as BA.5.2.1.7.
• BA.5.2.1.7. is a sub-lineage of the BA.5 Omicron variant.
• The first Omicron variant was identified in South Africa
• The recent spike in Covid 19 diseases in China has been attributed to subvariant BF.7.
• The new Omicron sub-variant is more infectious than previous variants.
• A person infected with BF.7 variant can infect 10 to 18 people.
• Even vaccinated individuals can become infected with the new Omicron sub-variant BF.7.
All Web-Stories about COVID-19
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Answer: Four cases of Omicron sub-variant BF.7 (3 in Gujarat and 1 in Odisha) have been detected in India so far.
Answer: BF.7 is the latest subvariant of Omicron that was recently detected in China.
Answer: fever, sore throat, runny nose, cough, and in some cases diarrhea and vomiting.
