BF.7 ruled out in 3 intl flyers, other samples show prevailing Omi variants

Nagpur: Two samples of US-returned flyers and one of a Hong Kong-returned man have tested positive for Omicron subvariant BA.5.2, thus ruling out the BF.7 lineage which is behind the ongoing Covid wave in China and other nations.
Though BA.5.2 lineage originated in July 2020, its current global distribution stands at 19.0% in the US, Japan 18.0%, Germany 7.0%, United Kingdom 5.0%, and Russia 5.0%. The US travellers are also on the watchlist of Covid surveillance following the sudden spurt of cases across countries.
The Covid sample of an MLA’s staff, who had come for the winter session from Mumbai, showed XBB.1 — a recombinant of Omicron subvariants. As per experts, XBB and XBB.1 are the emerging variants of concern (VoCs) driving the ongoing Covid waves along with the BF.7 variant.
The origin of XBB is believed to be from India in 2021 and XBB.1’s in USA and Singapore in September this year. Its global distribution stands at US 67.0%, Singapore 33.0%, and India 13%.
BA.5.2 has already been detected in six SarsCov2 samples studied at Neeri’s environmental virology cell led by Dr Krishna Khairnar.
The 31st genome sequencing study at Neeri lab included old samples of September, October and November besides fresh ones from December. Of the 217 samples, only 45 were found fit for the study. All of these showed Omicron and its sublineages. Labs weren’t prompt in sending Covid positive samples for genome study after cases declined in the region. Recently, the state health department again asked all labs in Vidarbha’s 11 districts to regularly forward their Covid positive samples to Neeri lab for sequencing. This also took Neeri lab’s sequencing tally to 2,385 since January this year.
Following new norms, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) started testing 2% international flyers at the airport from December 25. None of those tested by NMC has tested positive for Covid19, officials said.
“The two US-returned flyers, a 49-year-old woman and 20-year-old girl, arrived on December 27. They went to their residence in Laxmi Nagar zone and got themselves tested at a private lab. Both of them and the 43 year old man from Hongkong are in home isolation,” officials said.
The NMC is also allowing voluntary Covid testing upon arrival by international passengers, who are not among the 2% identified for mandatory testing, at the airport.
Officials said the staff member of MLA who had come from Mumbai was shifted to GMC after he tested positive.