XE Covid Variant: Don't Panic, Says INSACOG As 2 Cases In India Trigger Scare

A case of the XE variant was discovered in Gujarat, which was validated by the Additional Chief Secretary of the Gujarat Ministry of Health.

Representational Image. (Source: Getty Images)

New Delhi: Indian Sars-CoV-2 Genomic Consortium (INSACOG) is keeping a check on XE COVID-19 variant instances in the nation, with an emphasis on hospitalisation and severe events, but there is no need to fear, according to the sources, news agency ANI reported.

"Unless this sequence is verified after isolating the virus, we will not be able to comment on it. We will have to wait to know whether it is different or not," sources informed ANI.

A case of the XE variant was discovered in Gujarat, which was validated by the Additional Chief Secretary of the Gujarat Ministry of Health.

"We are in touch with the Governments of Maharashtra and Gujarat. Biotechnology research centre found the mutation in the sample that's why genome sequencing is required after which the sample was sent to Kolkata where they have confirmed the sample as an XE variant. We have got confirmation," Manoj Agarwal, IAS, Additional chief secretary, Health and Family Welfare, Government of Gujarat was quoted by ANI in its report.

He went on to say that the guy who tested positive for the virus travelled from Maharashtra to Baroda in Gujarat.

"A 66-year-old person who travelled to Vadodara's Gotri from Mumbai was staying in a private hotel and showed symptoms of COVID-19 and he tested positive. But he went back by road to Mumbai. We have done contact tracing of three persons and all of them tested negative," he added.

What Is XE Variant?

XE, a sub-variant of Omicron that caused the third wave of Covid-19 this winter, has not before been discovered in India.

The revelation of its finding triggered fears of a new wave of infections in India, where Covid-19 cases have been steadily declining and are already at their lowest level in more than two years.

WHO indicated in an April 5 report that the XE recombinant was being tracked as part of the Omicron variant. According to preliminary estimations, XE has a 1.1 per cent community growth rate advantage (or a 10% transmission advantage) over BA.2. This must, however, be proven.

“The SARS-CoV-2 virus continues to evolve. Given the current high level of transmission worldwide, it is likely that further variants, including recombinants, will continue to emerge. Recombination is common among coronaviruses and is regarded as an expected mutational event," the WHO report reads.