First case of Covid sub-variant BF.7 detected in Pakistan

KARACHI – The highly contagious Coronavirus sub-variant BF.7 has been detected in the country’s largest city Karachi on Tuesday, the Sindh health department spokesperson confirmed.

Without revealing details, the spokesperson for the Sindh health department confirmed the case, a month after National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) refuted reports about the detection of new Covid variant.

After denying the detention in December last year, the provincial authorities now confirmed the first case of the highly infectious BF.7 in the port city. The spokesperson told the media that the first case was detected via a genomic survey by Dow University of Health Sciences.

Reports in local media claimed that the case was detected in the Gulshan-e-Iqbal area of the metropolis while the patient has no travel history to China. The infected person reportedly contracted the virus after interacting with a person at his office, per reports.

The symptoms of the new Covid variant include flu, fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, and fatigue which can lead to serious complications like short breath, coughing, fatigue, and low oxygen levels.

Earlier, the country’s top health body said all arrangements have been completed to combat the new variant; however, he denied reports about the detection of the first case. Officials also urged the masses not to panic, saying there is no imminent threat of any major Covid wave in the South Asian country as authorities are monitoring the situation.

Amid the reports, the country of over 220 million has reported no fresh deaths in the last 24 hours. At least 3,800 tests were conducted in the past 24 hours, out of which 19 people tested positive while the positivity ratio stands below 1 percent.

Has Pakistan detected first case of new Covid variant XBB?

BF.7 and XBB among other covid variants continue to wreak havoc in parts of China and other countries, evading the natural and artificial immunity against Covid-19 re-infections.