The Press Stories
As the World Health Organization recently declared an imminent end to the Covid-19 pandemic, two new subtypes of the Omicron strain have been identified in China. They were named BF.7 and Ba.5.1.7. However, virologist Shamim Joumtali wants reassurance. According to him, “no need to worry”.
The highly contagious, BF.7 and Ba.5.1.7 reportedly infected more than 1,900 people in 24 hours. However, the emergence of subtypes is not surprising, explains Dr Shamim Joumdali. “It is very normal for sub-variants to emerge due to continuous waves of infection. Also, these sub-variants cannot be said to be from China, because with the frequency of travel, they may have been imported into China. Due to the high population density, many cases are detected in China. »
While we have little information about these new sub-variants, continues the expert, we do know that the virulence of the more prevalent sub-variants that continue to emerge is low. “These viruses may not cause severe forms of disease or be fatal,” he concludes.
Mauritian authorities say they are now better prepared to manage the emergence of sub-variants. In the Ministry of Health, it has been informed that surveillance will be maintained and if the number of cases of Covid-19 increases, necessary measures will be taken immediately. It is also emphasized that the high proportion of people vaccinated gives our country relative protection.
