E-Paper
Covid-19 alert: WHO says new virus strain ‘XE’ could be most contagious so far
The new mutant strain is a hybrid of two Omicron sub variants, researchers have found, and has been detected in Britain so far.
Just as the coronavirus pandemic seemed to be on a declining phase after having wreaked havoc across the world over the past two years, a new mutant strain has been reported, raising fears of yet another Covid-19 wave. The World Health Organization (WHO) has now warned of a new subvariant – ‘XE’ – a hybrid strain of two Omicron sub variants.
According to the global health body, early studies indicate this could be the most transmissible coronavirus strain so far, with a growth rate advantage of 10 per cent as compared to BA.2, one of the very contagious variants.
The Omicron variant, which had driven the third wave in India, comprises four lineages, including B.1.1.529, BA.1, BA.2 and BA.3.
“The XE recombinant was first detected in the United Kingdom on 19 January and >600 sequences have been reported and confirmed since," read the WHO report.
“Early-day estimates indicate a community growth rate advantage of ~10% as compared to BA.2, however this finding requires further confirmation," it added.
The WHO had earlier said that it was continuing to monitor the spread of Omicron and its “stealth” version BA.2, which has been documented to have re-infected some people after an initial case of Omicron.
What are the other mutants found?
There are three hybrid or recombinant viruses in total that have been detected so far. These are XD, XE and XF, of which XD and XF are a combination of Delta and Omicron variants. Meanwhile, XE is a hybrid of two versions of Omicron – BA.1 and BA.2.
The XD strain was first found in December 2021 and has since mostly been found in France, Denmark and Belgium, according to reports. The XF mutant has only been detected in the United Kingdom so far. The more concerning XE, has been identified in at least 637 cases in Britain so far.
