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With the new COVID variants emerging, experts pointed out that it is their nature to mutate. But they aren’t as fatal as the earlier variant primarily because of two reasons. First, most of us are now vaccinated and boosted and second, with each mutation, the virus grows weaker.
New variants of COVID-19 are expected which have the tendency to mutate. The situation is different now, earlier there was no vaccination but people are vaccinated now and have developed immunity against virus, said Dr Randeep Guleria, Chairman, CII Public Health Council & former Director of AIIMS
Adding to the thought, Dr Naresh Trehan, Chairman, MD, Medanta hospital said, “COVID viruses will go through many mutations. Historically, every time the virus goes through a mutation, it will get a little weaker as we have seen with Omicron. New variants will be even more effective and will spread.”
Emergence of new COVID variants
Earlier this month, several new COVID variants have been reported from India including BQ.1 and BF.7.
The BF.7 is also reported in Gujarat which is confirmed by the Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre. BF.7 is known as ‘Omicron spawn’ that was first detected in China and now reached the United States, the UK, Australia, and Belgium.
Meanwhile, the Kerala government on October 17 held a high-level meeting under health minister Veena George. It said it is intensifying preventive measures in view of the new genetic variations of COVID-19 (XBB and XBB1) being reported from other parts of the world.
Some experts from the health department predicted a rise in the coming winter season, especially in a festive environment.
Following this, a meeting of Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya with the senior health officials regarding the emergence of Omicron’s new sub-variants concluded with the decision to continue masks and COVID19-appropriate behaviour across the country, official sources told ANI.
The team of scientists, doctors and senior officials has also recommended increasing surveillance and genome sequencing.
According to the sources, Niti Aayog member VK Paul, the Chairperson of COVID-19 working group NTAGI NK Arora, NTAGI officials, NEGVAC officials and other senior health officials, as per the official sources.
(With inputs from agencies)
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