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Clin Microbiol Infect . BF.7: A new Omicron subvariant characterized by rapid transmission

tetano

Editor, Senior Moderator
Clin Microbiol Infect


. 2023 Oct 4:S1198-743X(23)00481-0.
doi: 10.1016/j.cmi.2023.09.018. Online ahead of print. BF.7: A new Omicron subvariant characterized by rapid transmission

Xiaoyu Gao[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Furong Wang[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Huizhao Liu[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Jun Chai[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Guangyuan Tian[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Lili Yao[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Chen Chen[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Peng Huo[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Yingxi Yao[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Jing Wen[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Na Zhao[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Dejun Sun[SUP] 4 [/SUP]



Affiliations
Abstract

Objectives: BF.7 (BA.5.2.1.7) is a novel sublineage of Omicron BA.5, whose clinical characteristics are not yet established.
Methods: From September 28, 2022, to October 3, 2022, the first 421 patients with BF.7 were assessed in Hohhot China and the clinical data were extracted and analyzed. The basic reproduction number (R0) was estimated using a statistical model calculation method.
Results: The R0 value was determined to be 13.79 (95% CI: 12.44-15.24). The mean age was 33.43 ± 18.78 years. Asymptomatic, mild, moderate, severe and critical patients accounted for 12.35% (52/421), 82.42% (347/421), 4.75% (20/421), 0.24% (1/421) and 0.24% (1/421) proportion, respectively. The main clinical symptoms were fever accounting for 41.09% (173/421), cough accounting for 41.09% (173/421) and throat dryness & soreness accounting for 30.88% (130/421). In the 3-dose vaccination subgroup, 64 (31.22%) cases had a fever, which was significantly lower than 96 cases (51.37%) of the 2-dose vaccination subgroup (P = 0.000). The rate of abnormally increased CRP levels in the 2-dose and 3-dose vaccination subgroups were 10.16% (19/187) and 4.88% (10/205), significantly lower than 66.67% (10/15) of the 1-dose vaccination subgroup (1-dose vs. 2-dose: P = 0.000, 1-dose vs. 3-dose: P = 0.000). Notably, the population with complete 3 doses of vaccination did not exhibit any severe or critical status.
Conclusions: BF.7 exhibited a higher transmission than previously emerged SARS-CoV-2. The vaccine against COVID-19 was found to relieve fever, nausea, and vomiting as well as reduce the abnormal counts of lymphocytes, eosinophils, neutrophils, and the C-reactive protein (CRP) level.

Keywords: BF.7; Coronavirus disease 2019; Omicron; clinical characteristics; vaccine effectiveness.

 
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