Two cases have been reported from Gujarat, two from Odisha so far, in which the BF.7 variant has been detected. It has already been detected in several other countries, including the US and UK and European nations such as Belgium, Germany, France and Denmark.

The government, though advising people to wear masks in crowded places, has said that there is no need to panic — a suggestion repeated by Adar Poonawalla of vaccine maker Serum Institute of India (SII).

After a review meeting on Wednesday, Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya tweeted, "COVID is not over yet. I have directed all concerned to be alert and strengthen surveillance. We are prepared to manage any situation."

The union government has also asked states to send samples to labs for genome sequencing, which can help identify the variant or sub-variant.

"ln view of the sudden spurt of cases being witnessed in Japan, United States of America, Republic of Korea, Brazil and China, it is essential to gear up the whole genome sequencing of positive case samples to track the variants," read a letter from Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan to all states.

At the Covid review meeting chaired by the minister on Wednesday, experts said that though there is no overall increase in Covid caseload as of now in India, there is a need for continued surveillance to keep a track of existing and emerging variants.

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BF.7 is a sub-lineage of the Omicron variant BA.5, and has the strongest infection ability since it is highly transmissible, has a shorter incubation period, and has a higher capacity to cause reinfection or infect even those vaccinated, a news agency reported.

Its symptoms are the same as other variants of Covid- fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose and fatigue. Some may also experience gastrointestinal issues like vomiting and diarrhoea.