BF.7 threat: Health Secretary meets district health officials

CHENNAI: Health Secretary P Senthil Kumar held a meeting regarding prevention and control of the spread of the new strain of COVID-19 BF.7 in Tamil Nadu on Thursday.

He stated that the number of cases has been increasing in the US, European countries such as Germany, France, Italy and Asian countries such as South Korea, Japan, and China.

Following this, the Union Government’s Health Secretary had issued a circular and it has been advised to monitor the number of COVID-19 infections and carry out whole genomic sequencing for those infected.

Currently, the XBB type of the variant is dominant and it is sub-lineage of the BA.2 variant. The BF.7 type, is a sub-lineage of BA.5, which was observed in Tamil Nadu in June, July and August as the dominant variant.

He said even though the COVID-19 cases have decreased in Tamil Nadu, the bed facilities required for COVID-19 treatment in government hospitals is adequate. Medicines, test facilities and oxygen are adequately available and if required, they will be increased.

The medical officers in all districts have been asked to conduct whole genomic sequencing on samples of COVID-19 patients, monitoring the spread of the disease and monitoring influenza-like illness and acute respiratory infections (ILI - SARI).

Patients with cough and shortness of breath are advised to test and treated for COVID-19 as per standard operating procedures (SOP). He said the public should not panic unnecessarily.