DThough the detection of first domestic case of Omicron-XE variant is yet to be confirmed in India, the presence of the mutation has been established in the United Kingdom and a few other countries.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) while the XE mutation may be around 10 per cent more transmissible than earlier Omicron mutations. It has, however, pointed out that more data is required before making an accurate assessment of the mutation.
The new strain is known as the XE recombinant and is a mutant hybrid of the two previous versions of the Omicron variant, BA.1 and BA.2.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is studying XE and according to official figures, as of March 22, 637 XE cases had been detected in England.
UKHSA’s chief medical advisor Professor Susan Hopkins, said such variants are known as “recombinant” and usually die off “relatively quickly”.
“So far there is not enough evidence to draw conclusions about transmissibility, severity or vaccine effectiveness,” Hopkins told ‘The Sun’.
As of March 16, XE had a growth rate 9.8 per cent above that of the so-called stealth BA.2 Omicron variant — already known to be highly transmissible, the UKHSA said.
“As this estimate has not remained consistent as new data have been added, it cannot yet be interpreted as an estimate of growth advantage for the recombinant,” the agency cautioned.
“Numbers were too small for the XE recombinant to be analysed by region,” the UKHSA said.
There is no evidence XE is any more serious in disease severity, with all Omicron variants so far shown to be less severe.
Here’s all you need to know about the new Omicron strain:
* The new strain of the Omicron variant appears to be more transmissible than any previous strains. The WHO said the new strain is known as the XE recombinant (BA.1-BA.2).
*A recombinant strain means that it is a mutant hybrid of the two previous versions of the Omicron variant, BA.1 and BA.2.
* Estimates indicate a community growth rate of 10 per cent as compared to BA.2. This finding, however, requires further confirmation.
* The XE recombinant only accounts for a small fraction of the cases, but its extremely high transmissibility could mean that it becomes the most dominant strain in the near future.
(With Agency Inputs)
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