BF.7: Another contender for global domination
The XBB and BQ.1 variants have recently been making headlines, but another SARS-CoV-2 variant, BF.7 has been closely tracking their success across the globe.
BF.7, an alias for BA.5.2.1, was first identified in Belgium in May 2022.
BF.7 was formally designated in July 2022:
Over the past few weeks, BF.7 has been making dramatic progress in several countries. It is now the fastest growing variant in a soup of over 120 different strains in Denmark:
BF.7 currently makes fifth place in the US list of variants compiled by the CDC:
In the UK, the November UKHSA Technical Briefing revealed that BF.7 has been sequenced more than 2,600 times, and that BF.7 had already exceeded 20% of sequences in Belgium and the Netherlands:
The October 2022 UKHSA Technical Briefing said that “BQ.X, BA.2.75.2 and BF.7 are the most concerning variants in terms of both growth and neutralisation data at present”
In Europe, BF.7 has been making progress across the continent:
| Lineage | WHO Label | Country | 2-Week Period | Change | Previous Support | Current Support |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BF.7 | Omicron | Spain | 2022-10-17 | 8% -> 17% (+9%) | 46 / 588 | 9 / 52 |
| BF.7 | Omicron | Poland | 2022-10-03 | 4% -> 14% (+9%) | 25 / 579 | 53 / 387 |
| BF.7 | Omicron | Belgium | 2022-10-17 | 25% -> 31% (+6%) | 411 / 1,671 | 38 / 123 |
| BF.7 | Omicron | Luxembourg | 2022-09-19 | 9% -> 15% (+6%) | 73 / 821 | 143 / 974 |
| BF.7 | Omicron | Denmark | 2022-09-19 | 9% -> 14% (+5%) | 603 / 6,968 | 1,007 / 7,346 |
| BF.7 | Omicron | Czechia | 2022-09-05 | 3% -> 8% (+5%) | 30 / 984 | 84 / 1,094 |
| BF.7 | Omicron | Slovenia | 2022-08-22 | 1% -> 3% (+2%) | 8 / 735 | 17 / 538 |
In the US, BF.7 is beginning to make gains in several states across the country:
| Lineage | WHO Label | State | 2-Week Period | Change | Previous Support | Current Support |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BF.7 | Omicron | Nevada | 2022-10-03 | 1% -> 8% (+7%) | 1 / 195 | 11 / 143 |
| BF.7 | Omicron | Nebraska | 2022-10-03 | 3% -> 10% (+6%) | 5 / 154 | 11 / 114 |
| BF.7 | Omicron | North Carolina | 2022-10-03 | 3% -> 8% (+6%) | 45 / 1,715 | 65 / 773 |
| BF.7 | Omicron | Ohio | 2022-10-03 | 2% -> 6% (+4%) | 11 / 661 | 14 / 241 |
| BF.7 | Omicron | Washington | 2022-10-03 | 2% -> 5% (+3%) | 37 / 1,546 | 43 / 811 |
| BF.7 | Omicron | Michigan | 2022-09-05 | 0% -> 2% (+2%) | 6 / 1,708 | 31 / 1,534 |
A Canadian risk assessment of BF.7, dated October 2022, shows nearly 400 sequences:
eb-risk-assessment-omicron-sub-lineage-bf-7As of October 4, 2022, there were 385 BF.7 sequenced cases identified in Canada, with 91 from Ontario. In Ontario, the number and proportion of BF.7 cases increased from 26 (1.2%) the week of September 11, 2022, to 60 (2.7%) the week of September 18, 2022.
Perhaps inevitably, there are already at least 12 different recorded subvariants of BF.7!
There is undoubtedly more news to come with this variant. We will update this post with any new information as it becomes available.
Preprint: Neutralizing antibody escape of BQ.1, BQ.1.1, BA.4.6, BF.7 and BA.2.75.2