All About Covid XE Variant: What We Know So Far

XE is a cross between Omicron's two most well-known strains, BA.1 (original strain) and BA.2 (the more infectious strain).

A person in Gujarat was found with a new COVID-19 variant, XE, recently. One incidence of another variant, XM, too, had been discovered in the state. Before that, in India, the first case of the XE variant was reported from Mumbai a few days ago but the Health Ministry had denied the report, saying that the "evidence does not suggest the presence of the new variant".

What do we know about the XE variant so far?

XE is a cross between Omicron's two most well-known strains, BA.1 (original strain) and BA.2 (the more infectious strain). It was first detected in the UK on January 19, 2022, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). As of March 29, 2022, “approximately 600 sequences have been reported and confirmed”.

In an April 5 report, WHO also stated that as part of the Omicron variant, the XE recombinant was being tracked. According to preliminary estimates, XE has a community growth rate advantage of 1.1 (or a 10 per cent transmission advantage) over BA.2. This, however, has to be confirmed.