In terms of disease severity, there is no indication that the XE variation is any worse than any other Omicron variant thus far.
The ‘XE’ coronavirus variant has been detected in India for the first time. First discovered in the United Kingdom, XE is an Omicron variant mutation. Omicron XE may have a 10% higher transmissibility; however, there is no evidence that it is any more severe than other Omicron variants, which have been demonstrated to be less stringent than XE.
Lately, a city health official in Mumbai reported finding the first case of the highly contagious coronavirus variant XE.
In March, the patient tested positive, and the variation was discovered following genome sequencing a month later. The patient, a 50-year-old lady, was described as asymptomatic and free of any concomitant conditions. She had arrived in the United States from South Africa on February 10 and tested negative. On March 2, she was positive in a routing test one month later. She was quarantined and had a negative blood test on March 3.
As a consequence of this latest round of tests, a case of the Kappa strain was also found, according to a statement from a government official. Of the 230 Mumbai samples, 228 were Omicron variants, while one was Kappa and another XE. However, according to the official, this new strain of virus did not pose a life-threatening threat to the people exposed to it.
You should be aware of the XE variation: Here Comes Corona Update
The XE variation is a “recombinant” of the BA.1 and BA.2 Omicron variants. As of today, the XE variation has a growth rate of 9.8% above the BA.2 variety, known as the stealth variant, for its ability to elude detection, according to preliminary tests. However, world Health Organization officials have expressed concern about the newest mutation’s ability to be transmitted.
Official records from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) show that as of March 22, 637 instances of XE have been identified in England, with the number expected to rise. “Relatively fast,” says Professor Susan Hopkins of the UKHSA’s top medical adviser, such mutations are known as recombinant. Currently, Hopkins tells the Sun,
“There is not enough information to make judgments regarding transmissibility, severity, or vaccination efficacy”.
As of March 16, XE’s growth rate was 9.8% higher than that of the previously known highly transmissible BA.2 Omicron strain, according to the UKHSA. However, recombinant’s growing advantage can’t be determined at this time since the estimate hasn’t been steady with additional data being added, the FDA said.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, XE has been detected in the population in England, although it is still fewer than 1% of the overall number of coronavirus infections. Thailand and New Zealand have also been found to have the XE version.
Further research is needed before any conclusions can be drawn regarding the mutation, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). When comparing the community’s growth rate to BA.2, it found a 10% advantage. However, further research is needed to verify this conclusion. Until significant transmission and illness feature change, including severity, XE belongs to the Omicron variant.
