An Omicron subvariant has been detected in the UK. It is the same variant that is driving a huge surge in infections across China. Should we be worried? Here's what you need to know and the symptoms to look out for.
Since the COVID variant omicron emerged in late 2021, it has rapidly evolved into multiple subvariants. One, which has been named BF.7, has recently been identified as the main variant spreading in Beijing, and is contributing to a wider surge of COVID infections in China. Although reports from China about this variant’s characteristics are concerning, it doesn’t appear to be growing too much elsewhere in the world.
Here’s what we know so far. According to the latest information, BF.7, short for BA.5.2.1.7, is a sub-lineage of the omicron variant BA.5. Reports from China indicate it has the strongest infection ability out of the omicron subvariants in the country, being quicker to transmit than other variants, having a shorter incubation period, and with greater capacity to infect people who have had a previous COVID infection, or been vaccinated, or both.
