LAHORE: In a recent update from the National Institute of Health (NIH), Pakistan reported 19 new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of infections to 1,576,312.
Despite the detection of an Omicron variant, the number of daily infections remained steady with a positivity rate of 0.50 percent. The death toll in the country remains unchanged at 30,640.
Of the 3,797 tests conducted, a new case of the BF.7 variant of Covid-19 was detected in Karachi. This is the first reported case of the BF.7 variant in Pakistan. This variant has been linked to the current surge of Covid-19 cases in China and accounted for over 5 percent of cases in the US and 7.26 percent in the UK in October.
Symptoms of the BF.7 variant are similar to those of the flu, including fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, and fatigue. However, in some cases, severe symptoms such as breathlessness, coughing, fatigue, and low oxygen levels have been reported.
With the detection of this new variant, it is crucial for individuals to continue practicing preventive measures such as wearing masks and maintaining social distancing to prevent the spread of the virus.
