XBB.1.16 Variant Behind 48% Covid Cases, Not Severe: Delhi CM Kejriwal Urges Delhiites To Not Worry

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal addressed the media to explain the preparations done by the government of the national capital to tackle increasing Covid-19 infections in the city.

New Delhi: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday addressed the media to brief them about the preparations done by the government of the national capital to tackle increasing Covid-19 infections in the city. Urging residents to not worry for now, Kejriwal said that the XBB.1.16 is the predominant Covid variant at present and accounts for around 48 percent of all infections. The CM stated that the variant spreads rapidly but is not severe.

According to PTI, Kejriwal said, "Only three deaths over last 4-5 days; Likely due to co-morbidities, Covid incidental." The CM said that conducting genome sequencing of all Covid-positive cases to timely identify new variants is on the agenda of government. 

"No need to worry for now," CM Arvind Kejriwal further said.

The press briefing took place after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal held a meeting on Friday to review the Union Territory's Covid preparedness. The results of mock drills at government-run hospitals were also presented at the meeting, along with information on how other states are handling the situation.

Furthermore, amid a recent uptick in Covid-19 cases in the country, a total of 349 samples of the new XBB.1.16 variant, that might have been driving the surge, was found in India, data by INSACOG showed.

The samples of the new variant were found in nine states and Union Territories, with the highest in Maharashtra at 105, followed by Telangana 93, Karnataka 61 and Gujarat 54, news agency PTI reported.

According to former AIIMS director Dr. Randeep Guleria, the new XBB.1.16 variant could be driving the recent surge. However, he said there is no need to panic unless it causes severe illness or death.

He said the new variants will keep coming as the Covid virus keeps on mutating over time, and the XBB 1.16 is sort of a 'new kid on the block'. The XBB.1.16 is a recombinant lineage of the virus and is a descendent of the XBB lineage of Covid-19.

The variant XBB 1.16 was first found in January, when two samples tested positive for it. In February, 140 samples of XBB 1.16 were found. In March, 207 XBB 1.16 variant samples were found till now, as per INSACOG data.