What is XE strain of coronavirus? Check symptoms of new Covid variant
PremiumThe XE vairant is the subvariant of Omicron Covid-19.It is a mutation of the BA.1 and BA.2 Omicron strains, referred to as a 'recombinant'
A threatening situation has begun to loom in the country as India reported the first case of a new variant of Covid-19 on Wednesday. The first case of the XE variant has come at a time when the Covid cases are on the wane.
XE variant which is considered to be more transmissible was detected in a 50-year-old woman who had travelled to South Africa in February. According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the woman was asymptomatic and had no comorbidities. She had been vaccinated with both doses of the COMIRNATY vaccine, the civic body added.
However, government sources have denied reports claiming India has detected the first variant of Covid-19. "Present evidence does not suggest that it is 'XE' variant of Covid-19," a source said.
What is XE variant of coronavirus?
The XE vairant is the subvariant of Omicron Covid-19.It is a mutation of the BA.1 and BA.2 Omicron strains, referred to as a "recombinant". As per the initial studies, the XE variant has a growth rate of 9.8% over that of BA.2, also known as the stealth variant because of its ability to evade detection. The World Health Organization has said the latest mutant may be more transmissible than the previous ones.
The WHO said in its latest update that the XE recombinant (BA.1-BA.2) was first detected in the UK on January 19 and more than 600 sequences have been reported and confirmed since then.
XE Covid variant symptoms
Some of the symptoms of XE Covid variants include fatigue, dizziness, headaches, sore throat, fever, heart ailment, and palpitation.
However, the XE-affected patients also experience Covid symptoms like loss of smell and taste.
XE variant dangerous or not? Here's what heath experts are saying?
Since it is a sub variant of Omicron therefore, heath experts think that it will not be that severe. XE could be about 10% more transmissible than the dominant BA.2 variant. But that is a very small advantage that XE has, and even this has not been confirmed as of now. The fact that there has been no significant increase in the incidence of the XE variant since its detection three months ago shows that it might not be a big worry at present.
Health experts have also downplayed the fear centered around the XE variant of coronavirus. Senior epidemiologist Dr Raman Gangakhedekar, former head scientist of the Epidemiology and Communicable Diseases Division at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), said when a recombinant occurs, it tends to last for a lesser time.
“Recombinant events are chance events because two different types of viruses are in the body and they tend to develop a recombinant new virus," Gangakhedekar said.
Rakesh Mishra, director of the Tata Institute of Genetics and Society said Omicron appeared in November (in South Africa) and it was all over the world in 4 to 5 weeks and replaced Delta (which caused the second wave in April-May last year), but XE has not done that. “I don't think XE is of any concern to us. It doesn't look like we have to worry about it. But we have to exercise caution and follow COVID-19 protocols," he said.
Anurag Agrawal, Dean, Biosciences and Health Research at Ashoka University, said there is “no critical global signal of concern as of now" with regards to XE.
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