Welwyn Garden City Central has been marked as the most infected area in Hertfordshire this week for the new COVID subvariant, BF.7. 

The BF. 7 subvariant is the newest variant, which surged in Beijing. Multiple other countries such as USA, France, Germany and Denmark have also detected this variant recently. 

An interactive map on the government website shows that Welwyn Garden City has seen a rise in cases, with 13 active cases. 

Compared to last week’s results, this is an increase of 12 cases on the map that highlights the most affected area in the county in dark blue. 

For the seven days to Saturday, December 3, the infection rate in the town is 227.2 case rate per 100,000 people, the data shows. 

The symptoms of an infection with BF.7 are similar to those associated with other Omicron subvariants, primarily upper respiratory symptoms.  

Patients may have a fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose and fatigue, among other symptoms. 

A minority of people can also experience gastrointestinal symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea, according to Medical Xpress. 

Regardless of the rise in cases, it is no longer mandatory to record a positive COVID result. This means that the number of cases could be higher than reported.