India: First case of coronavirus XE variant detected in country

India has recorded the first case of coronavirus XE infection in the city of Mumbai, the NDTV network reported today, citing the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

According to the same source, an infection with the Kappa variant was also detected. Patients identified with the new variants of the virus have no serious symptoms so far.

The patient in Mumbai is a 50-year-old fashion designer who returned from South Africa in February. It tested positive for Covid on March 2, BMC said in a statement.

The new executive was first spotted in Britain earlier this year. The British Health Service announced on April 3 that XE was first detected on January 19 and so far 637 infections with the new variant have been reported in the country.

XE is a “recombination” of Omicron strains BA’1 and BA.2. Recombinant occurs when a patient is infected with multiple variants of Covid. The variants mix their genetic material during replication and form a new variant, experts from the United Kingdom said in a scientific article published in the British Medical Journal.

The World Health Organization has said that the new XE variant appears to be ten times more contagious than Omicron subcommittee BA.2.

Initial estimates show that there is a 10% spread advantage in the community compared to BA.2, but this finding needs further confirmation, the international body added.

Of the 230 patients in Mumbai whose samples were sent for genome sequencing, 228 tested positive for Omicron, one for Kappa and one for XE. Twenty-one of the 230 patients needed to be treated, although no one needed oxygen or was admitted to an intensive care unit. Twelve of those admitted to the hospital had not been vaccinated and nine had received two doses of the Covid-19 vaccine.

SOURCE: AMPE