Based on the inputs from BMC Mumbai, the media reported on Wednesday that a new XE variant of the corona virus prevalent in Britain today has been detected in India. The reports had surprised everyone. According to the Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), for the first time such a patient was found in India, an old woman who returned from South Africa, who was first found negative at the airport, but later the infection was confirmed. The woman is asymptomatic since the infection was confirmed, her condition is being monitored.
Health Ministry denies XE variant
In a later development, the central government has denied reports of the XE variant in India. According to ANI, The government sources said that FastQ files of the sample, being said to be `XE` variant, was analysed by INSACOG (Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium) which inferred that the genomic constitution of this variant doesn’t correlate with the genomic picture of `XE. “Present evidence does not suggest that it is `XE` variant of COVID-19,” a source was quoted as saying by ANI.
Present evidence does not suggest that it is ‘XE’ variant of Covid19: Official sources on the first ‘XE’ variant in the country
— ANI (@ANI) April 6, 2022
XE is a recombinant of the Omicron subvariants BA.1 and BA.2. The variant was first discovered in the UK on 19 January. According to preliminary WHO estimates, XE is 10 percent more contagious than Omicron’s BA.2. However, more research is needed into this claim, the WHO said.
