DNA Explainer: Amid Covid BF.7 scare, know difference between herd and hybrid immunity in India

The BF.7 variant of the Covid virus is currently wreaking havoc in China and has triggered a fresh wave of concern in India. While the authorities are preparing themselves for a surge in Covid cases in India, many are speculating that a 4^th Covid wave could hit the country soon.

The BF.7 variant is considered to be highly transmissible, and one infected person can spread the virus to 18 persons, according to health experts. Despite the high R-value of the Covid variant, health experts in India believe that it may not be able to cause as much destruction in India as it is doing in China.

While the BF.7 strain of Omicron has made its entry in India, health experts have asked people not to panic since the residents of the country have developed hybrid immunity against the virus, which can prevent its potential spread.

Covid-19 panel chief NK Arora, while speaking to NDTV, clarified that it is not herd immunity, but hybrid immunity that will keep Indians safe from another wave of the pandemic provided that all the Covid precautions are followed by the people.

Difference between Covid herd and hybrid immunity

Herd immunity, when it comes to Covid infections, refers to the resistance to the spread of the specific infection when the majority population has gained immunity against it by already getting infected in the past and developing antibodies for the infection.

Meanwhile, hybrid immunity is one step ahead of herd immunity, and it refers to the resistance against Covid-19 through vaccinations and previous infections, which caused higher antibody levels in the human being and is stronger than herd immunity.

Since the majority of the people in India have been administered at least two doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, and crores of people were left infected in the first three waves of the pandemic, people of the country have now developed hybrid immunity against coronavirus.

While speaking to NDTV, Dr NK Arora said, “Herd immunity is a complex matter. Let's not go into that. What we have in India is strong hybrid immunity...India has seen wave after wave of infection and many people have got exposure to natural infection.”

As of now, over 5 crore people in India have been infected with Covid-19, which eventually led to herd immunity in the population in a lot of areas. Health experts believe that despite its high transmissibility rate, BF.7 may not be able to wreak havoc in India.

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