Recently, the latest mutated branch of the Omickron virus BF.7 has attracted people's attention. So what is this BF.7? What is its transmission and pathogenicity? The reporter interviewed Zhao Qinglong, deputy director of the Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
Zhao Qinglong said that Omickron BF.7 is the abbreviation of BA.5.2.1.7, which is essentially an evolutionary branch of the Omickron BA.5 variant strain. Since BF.7 was detected in September, it has gradually become common in many countries and is a strain that accounts for a certain proportion. The sub-branch of
BF.7 is very similar to that of BA.2 and BA.5 when it first appeared, and both showed relatively strong transmission ability, but BF.7 did not change significantly in terms of pathogenicity, and its pathogenicity did not increase significantly.
Zhao Qinglong said that virus mutation is a very common natural law, reflecting the reaction of viruses as small and simple microorganisms to external pressure, which is more fully manifested in the new coronavirus. Although the new coronavirus has only appeared for more than two years, its mutation rate has significantly accelerated when there are a large number of naturally infected people and a larger number of vaccinated people. The study found that since the emergence of Omickron in 2022, the rate of virus mutation has accelerated significantly, which is a natural phenomenon.
Source: Cailian News
