New Delhi: Following the emergence of the new variant of Covid, experts from India's health domain have warned that BF.7 could evade vaccine-induced immunity. They, however, suggested that adherence of covid appropriate behaviour is very much needed at present. "BF.7 is believed to have an R0 (basic reproductive number) of 10 to 18.6, which is much higher than the Omicron variant. This is alarming and we must reinstitute all Covid appropriate behaviour immediately," said Dr Tamorish Kole, president of the Asian Society for Emergency Medicine to ETV Bharat.
Notably, the previous Covid variant (Omicron) has an average R0 of 5.08. "This is clearly a new wave. Newer variants have the capability of evading vaccine-induced immunity. So, the vaccine can not be blamed alone," said Dr Kole. The reproductive number (R0) is the average number of people who will contract a transmissible infection from one person with the disease. It is an epidemiological metric used to measure the transmissibility of the infectious virus.
R0 of Covid initially estimated by the World Health Organization (WHO) was between 1.4 and 2.4. The new Covid variant (BF.7), which was reportedly first detected in China, has already created a global wave in the last few days. When asked whether less efficacy of the Chinese vaccine could be a probable reason for such a sudden spike in China, Japan and the US, Dr Kole admitted that there are reported surges in the US and Japan.
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"These countries were exposed to other vaccines as well," said Dr Kole. Quoting reports, Dr Kole said that China is currently having one million Covid infections and approximately 5,000 deaths per day. According to the London-based Airfinity, an analytics company, cases are likely to continue rising in China with two likely peaks, one in mid-January and the second in early March.
Dr Jayesh M Lele, secretary general of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), echoed the same and said that there is a possibility that the new variant BF.7 can evade vaccine-induced immunity. "Some cases could definitely appear where the new variant could evade vaccine immunity as we have seen on previous occasions," said Dr Lele.
During the third wave, it was found that people with two doses of Covid vaccines were again reinfected. "It, however, depends on person to person for which we need a proper study," said Dr Lele. Hailing the government's urgent steps taken in view of the emergence of the new variant of Covid 19, Dr Lele said that there is no need to panic. "The cases found in India are very few. The government has taken immediate steps as it has experienced over the last three years. So, people need not panic," said Dr Lele.
There are five vaccines available for immunization against Covid in India that include Covaxin (manufactured by Bharat Biotech Limited), Covishield (AstraZeneca's vaccine manufactured by Serum Institute of India), Sputnik V (manufactured by Gamaleya Research Institute, Russia and imported by Dr Reddy's Lab), CorBEvax (manufactured by Biological E) and Covovax (manufactured by Serum Institute of India).
