Covid-19 variant XE

The XE variant of COVID-19 is a recombinant of two sublineages of Omicron - BA.1 and BA.2. So far, the cases have been found only in Britain.

Last year, researchers in Japan reported genomic recombination between the Delta and Alpha variants of coronavirus. It has, however, clarified that more data is needed before a concrete estimate about its spread can be released. By March 22, the agency had identified 637 cases that were infected with the XE variant. The recombinant strain in question has been named as XE. The UKHSA is monitoring three recombinant variants: XD, XE and XF. The XD is the hybrid of BA.1, a sublineage of the Omicron variant and actively found in France, Denmark and Belgium. The XF too is a recombinant version of the Delta and BA.1, but found only in Britain. Cases of XE too have been found only in Britain. According to UKHSA, more than 600 people have been found having this recombinant lineage. The concern is around the XE variant, which the UKHSA says is a recombinant of two sublineages of Omicron - the BA.1 and BA.2. Both the sublineages have led waves of infection in many parts of the world, spreading faster from continent to continent than any known previous strains.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO)'s latest report, the new mutant called XE may be more transmissible than any strain of COVID-19 reported so ...

"It is unfortunate that a certain section of the society seems to be eager to declare that the pandemic is over. So far, more than 1.81 crore (1,81,21,823) adolescents have been administered with the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine. We need to wait for some more time to make comments on how transmissible it can be," he said.

A new Covid mutant 'XE' has been found in the UK, the World Health Organisation has said in its latest report and noted that it may be more transmissible ...

“A total 637 cases of XE - a recombinant of Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 - have been confirmed in the UK so far. As with other kinds of variant, most will die off relatively quickly,” Professor Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Advisor, UKHSA said. The earliest of these has a specimen date of January 19, 2022. UKHSA said BA.2 is estimated to account for approximately 93.7 per cent of cases in England, with the highest prevalence in the South East (96.4 per cent) and the lowest in the East Midlands (91.1 per cent). “Recombinant variants are not an unusual occurrence, particularly when there are several variants in circulation, and several have been identified over the course of the pandemic to date. “Of these, XD and XF are recombinants of Delta and Omicron BA.1, while XE is a recombinant of Omicron BA.1 and BA.2,” it said in an update.

The more contagious omicron subvariant, BA.2, has become the dominant COVID-19 strain in the U.S., but international health experts are putting an increased ...

"As with other kinds of variant, most will die off relatively quickly." "Recombinant variants are not an unusual occurrence, particularly when there are several variants in circulation, and several have been identified over the course of the pandemic to date," Hopkins stated. Recombinant variants themselves, however, are not out of the ordinary, according to health officials.