China confirms new Omicron sub-variants in COVID flare-up prior to 20th Party Congress

In the most recent COVID-19 flare-up in China, new Omicron sub-variants BF.7 and BA.5.1.7, which are highly contagious and more transmissible, have been found in the nation.

Right before the 20th Party Congress, the BF.7 subvariant has been transmitted to more Chinese provinces on Monday. While, on the other hand, Li Shujian, the deputy head of the regional disease prevention and control centre, said that the subvariant BA.5.1.7 was identified for the first time in the Chinese mainland, Global Times reported. 

Furthermore, the extremely contagious virus, BF.7 subvariant was discovered for the first time in northwest China. On Monday, representatives from Yantai, a city in the Shandong Region of North China, acknowledged that variant BF.7, which is highly homologous with those discovered in another province, was the cause of locally transmitted COVID-19 cases discovered since October 4, Global Times reported.  

On Sunday, Shaoguan City in Guangdong Province, South China, also discovered instances of the BF.7 and BA.5.1.7 strains. 

In the meantime, the World Health Organization had issued a warning about the rapidly spreading of the BF.7 virus around the world and had anticipated that it would replace other dominant variants. 

BF.7 'could become the dominate variant in China'

In addition to this, the Global Times reported citing a professor as saying to a health-based newspaper, “Judging from the characteristics of BF.7, if decisive prevention measures were not adopted in time, there is a high possibility that it could become the dominate variant in China as well."  

According to Wang Guiqiang, an official from the local Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Yantai, the new strain might quickly lead to widespread infection due to its high transmission and contagiousness, further complicating epidemic control and prevention. Patients who get BF.7, develop symptoms resembling earlier mutant strains of Omicron, such as a chronic cough, headache, chest discomfort, alterations in sense of smell, hearing loss, and trembling, Wang added.  

China is the only developed country in the world that is still imposing stringent zero-COVID regulations, which include border controls, widespread testing, massive quarantines, and uncompromising sudden lockdowns. 

Meanwhile, according to a Financial Post report, international corporations are considering relocating their activities out of China and to other countries as a result of China's zero COVID policy and strict lockdowns. In a report published in September, the EU Chamber of Commerce noted that businesses perceived China as being less predictable, dependable, and effective. Additionally, global tensions are increasing. 

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