A patient infected with Omicron sub-variant BF.7 has been found in Bangladesh, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) confirmed on Sunday. He is one of the four returnees from China who tested positive for Covid-19 at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka on Monday and were then kept in isolation, said Prof. Dr Najmul Islam, director (diseases control) of Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). Dr Nazmul said they are not worried about detection of Omicron sub-variant case in the country. “We don’t anyone to get panicked as our positivity rate is now below one percent. But we have taken the matter seriously and trying to prevent its spread,” he said.   Read more: Amid surge in Omicron BF.7 in countries, DGHS asks for necessary steps at airports and other entry points Replying to a question, he said that they are closely monitoring the situation and testing those regularly who are returning to the country from the affected countries.  Those who tested positive for Covid-19 are being sent to the isolation centers, he added. In the wake of the surge in the new sub-variant of Covid-19 infections, Omicron BF.7, in different countries including China and India, the government has asked all to take necessary steps in maintaining health guidelines in all airports, land ports and river ports across the country. The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) issued a notice in this regard on December 26. Read more: Four Chinese citizens sent to isolation from airport after testing Covid positive The emergence of new sub-variant Omicron BF.7 is most likely responsible for the current surge of COVID-19 infection in China, India and other countries which is more transmissible, said DGHS. To contain the spread of Covid, DGHS has instructed the authorities concerned to strengthen surveillance and screening of people coming to Bangladesh from countries including China, India, Japan, South Korea, USA, France, Brazil and Germany.

Dhaka has reported scores of COVID-19 cases traced to the BA.5 Omicron sub-variant, which appears to be more infectious than the past versions of the virus, extending the current Covid surge. International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b) on Tuesday told about the rapid spread of BA.5 Omicron subvariant cases. During the last six weeks (May 14 to June 24 this year), this subvariant became the most predominant. During this period, 51 out of 52 covid cases were identified as BA.5 subvariant and one BA.2 by using complete genome sequencing, according to icddr,b. Read: Social distancing norms flouted at Kamalapur railway station amid Covid surge SARS-CoV-2 variants are outcompeted one by another over time, which underscores the continuation of variant surveillance for a regular update on the emergence of new variants, states the icddr,b report. A study, conducted on 40 Omicron BA.5 infected patients, found that 38 patients had received at least one dose vaccine. Among them, 16 had received booster doses of vaccines, 21 had two doses, and one had received only one dose. Besides, 39 patients had mild to moderate symptoms, and one had no symptoms. And only one was hospitalised for a day which means the severity of this subvariant is low. The researchers also urged everyone to practice all precautions to keep safe from COVID-19 as well as to get vaccinated against the virus who are not vaccinated yet. Read:Bangladesh reports 7 Covid deaths, positivity rate now 16.74% The first suspected Omicron subvariant BA.5 in Dhaka was detected on May 19. The Omicron variant in Bangladesh was first identified on December 6 last year. Meanwhile, Bangladesh registered seven more Covid-linked deaths with 1,998 cases in 24 hours till Tuesday morning amid rapid surge in new infections. The fresh numbers took the country's total caseload to 1,982,972 and the total fatalities to 29,182, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). The daily case positivity rate rose to 16.74 per cent from Monday’s 16.51 per cent as 11,882 samples were tested during the period, said the DGHS.