BF.7 variant of Omicron found in Vadodara woman

A case of the new Omicron BF.7 variant of Covid-19 that has been rapidly spreading across the world was reported in the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC), after receiving the genome sequencing results of a patient who tested positive for Covid-19 in September this year.

According to a VMC release, a 61-year-old woman’s samples tested positive for the variant. “The woman, a resident of Subhanpura area in Vadodara, had arrived from the US on September 11, 2022, and tested positive for Covid-19 on September 18, 2022. The patient had taken three doses of the Pfizer vaccination and was in home isolation… Her sample was sent for genome sequencing to Gandhinagar… the result for the BF.7 variant has arrived today (Wednesday),” the release said.

Dr Devesh Patel, Medical Officer for Health (MOH), VMC, said, “At present, the Covid-19 situation in Vadodara is normal and about 100-150 suspected cases are being tested daily, of which about five patients test positive for Covid-19 per week, on an average. Currently, no one has been hospitalised and the city is well-equipped and vigilant to deal with a possible Covid-19 wave in the future.”