Following out break of Covid in China and positive casesfrom foreign
visitors, put on high alert in the country with governmentagencies stepping
up monitoring and measures to tackle possible Covid-19 spread.Indian
virologist Gagandeep Kang while assessing the present situation that India
was doing effective at the moment, but stressed need to be cautious. The
tragedyunfolding in China presents an “increased opportunity” for new
coronavirusvariants to emerge, he said. Worry with China is not just the
tragedy unfolding as they undergosituation that we have already experienced
previously, but that high levels ofreplication mean increased opportunity
for new variants to emerge, the expert was quoted.
She further mentioned that the twoOmicron sub-variants currently furiousin
China – BF.7 and XBB also been in India but have not propelled cases.
Themicrobiologist insists she does not expect a surge in infections in
India. “They are like all Omicron sub-variants infecting people as
they escapethe immune response that prevents infection, but are not causing
more severedisease than Delta,” Kang tweeted. At this moment, India is
doing fine and only few cases here sheobserved and added “we have had the
XBBand BF.7 for a while and they have not driven an upsurge in India. In
theabsence of an even more highly infectious variant, I do not expect a
surge”. The virologist in another tweet said each new sub-variant thrives
onlyif it is better at immune escape than the prior ones. Therefore,
greaterinfectiousness of new variants is a given and not a news.”
visitors, put on high alert in the country with governmentagencies stepping
up monitoring and measures to tackle possible Covid-19 spread.Indian
virologist Gagandeep Kang while assessing the present situation that India
was doing effective at the moment, but stressed need to be cautious. The
tragedyunfolding in China presents an “increased opportunity” for new
coronavirusvariants to emerge, he said. Worry with China is not just the
tragedy unfolding as they undergosituation that we have already experienced
previously, but that high levels ofreplication mean increased opportunity
for new variants to emerge, the expert was quoted.
She further mentioned that the twoOmicron sub-variants currently furiousin
China – BF.7 and XBB also been in India but have not propelled cases.
Themicrobiologist insists she does not expect a surge in infections in
India. “They are like all Omicron sub-variants infecting people as
they escapethe immune response that prevents infection, but are not causing
more severedisease than Delta,” Kang tweeted. At this moment, India is
doing fine and only few cases here sheobserved and added “we have had the
XBBand BF.7 for a while and they have not driven an upsurge in India. In
theabsence of an even more highly infectious variant, I do not expect a
surge”. The virologist in another tweet said each new sub-variant thrives
onlyif it is better at immune escape than the prior ones. Therefore,
greaterinfectiousness of new variants is a given and not a news.”
