The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, began in late 2019 in Wuhan, China. The first case of the virus was identified in December 2019 and was linked to a seafood market in Wuhan. Since then, the COVID-19 has been impacting lives without any end in sight. India also faced multiple waves and lost over 5 lakh lives so far, around 7 million deaths have been recorded globally. So far there have been several variants of the virus -- B.1.1.7, B.1.351, P.1, Delta, B.1.617.2, BA.5. Omicron BF.7 strain is driving the current wave of Covid infections in China. As of now, India reported four cases of the Omicron sub-variant BF.7 which is a sub-lineage of the previous Omicron variant BA.5 and has one of the highest transmissibility amongst all COVID variants so far.
The new Omicron variant is expected to infect 60 per cent of people in China in the coming three months. Symptoms of COVID-19 can range from mild to severe, and can include fever, cough, difficulty breathing, and body aches. The virus is primarily transmitted through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person speaks, coughs, or sneezes. To reduce the spread of COVID-19, many countries have implemented measures such as lockdowns, travel restrictions, mask mandates, and social distancing guidelines. Vaccines have been developed and are being distributed globally, but it is important to continue following public health guidelines and getting vaccinated to help bring the pandemic under control.
Cases yesterday - 226, Deaths yesterday - 1, Total deaths - 5,30,693, Total cases - 4,46,77,106 (Source - https://www.mygov.in/covid-19)
The Stratus variant (XFG) of COVID-19 was first identified in the US in January 2025 and has since then spread across the country. Medical experts have identified a "distinctive" symptom that Covid patients are likely to experience with this new variant.
