NewsBytes
    Hindi Tamil Telugu
    More
    In the news
    Narendra Modi
    Amit Shah
    Box Office Collection
    Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
    OTT releases
    Hindi Tamil Telugu
    NewsBytes
    User Placeholder

    Hi,

    Logout


    India Business World Politics Sports Technology Entertainment Auto Lifestyle Inspirational Career Bengaluru Delhi Mumbai Visual Stories Find Cricket Statistics Phones Reviews Fitness Bands Reviews Speakers Reviews

    Download Android App

    Follow us on
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Linkedin
     
    Home / News / India News / COVID-19 Omicron XE subvariant presence confirmed in India: Details here
    COVID-19 Omicron XE subvariant presence confirmed in India: Details here
    India

    COVID-19 Omicron XE subvariant presence confirmed in India: Details here

    Written by Abhishek Hari
    May 03, 2022 | 01:30 pm 3 min read
    COVID-19 Omicron XE subvariant presence confirmed in India: Details here
    The INSACOG bulletin states, 'Omicron (BA.2) is the dominant variant in India till date.'

    The country's first case of COVID-19 Omicron sub-variant XE has been confirmed by the Centre's Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Sequencing Consortium (INSACOG). According to experts, however, there is currently no evidence to indicate that infection caused by the XE subvariant is different from other Omicron variants. The development came weeks after two unverified Omicron XE cases were reported from Maharashtra and Gujarat.

    Why does this story matter?

    The Omicron XE subvariant is said to be the most transmissible COVID-19 strain to date—being 10% more transmissible than Omicron's currently dominant BA.2 subvariant. Notably, BA.2 was responsible for India's third COVID-19 wave in January. Moreover, the XE strain currently accounts for only a small number of cases worldwide. The development comes as 12 Indian states are witnessing a gradual increase in COVID-19 cases.

    Origin and genetics of XE variant

    The XE strain was detected in the United Kingdom in January this year. It is a "recombinant" strain and is a hybrid mutation between the BA.1 and BA.2 subvariants of the Omicron variant. Recombinant strains emerge when a patient is infected by multiple variants of COVID-19. The variants mix up their genetic material during replication and form a new mutation.

    No cluster formation of recombinant variants observed: Official

    A government official told The Indian Express "less than a handful of recombinant variants" have been detected in India. "All of them are from geographically disparate regions. No cluster formation has been seen," they added. Meanwhile, it's currently unknown which state the confirmed XE sample was sourced from. Of the two previous unverified cases, Maharashtra's sample wasn't of the XE variant, the official added.

    'Omicron (BA.2) is the dominant variant in India': INSACOG

    According to the INSACOG bulletin, "Omicron (BA.2) is the dominant variant in India till date." The INSACOG report also verified the existence of at least two sublineages of the BA subvariant—BA2.10 and BA2.12. These were first discovered two weeks ago in Delhi. "The infection is likely now following the trajectory of other respiratory infections—they tend to increase when seasons are changing," an official stated.

    Other recombinant strains observed so far

    According to a recent study conducted by the UK Health Security Agency, three recombinant strains—XD, XE, and XF—are circulating. XF is another Omicron hybrid between Delta and the BA.1 lineage and was discovered in the UK but has not been detected since February 15. The XD and XF mutations are referred to as the much-talked-about "Deltacron" strains, which haven't made any significant impact yet.

    About the XD strain in Europe

    Separately, the XD variant, a hybrid of the Delta and BA.1 lineage of Omicron, was previously discovered in several European countries, including France, Denmark, and Belgium. Imperial College London virologist Tom Peacock stated earlier that the spread of XD to multiple countries and the integration of the more serious Delta strain makes it crucial for the scientific community to keep it under constant observation.

    Share this timeline
    Facebook
    Whatsapp
    Twitter
    Linkedin
    Related News
    COVID-19
    COVID-19 India
    INSACOG
    Omicron variant

    COVID-19

    COVID-19: India logs 3,157 new cases, 26 more deaths COVID-19 India
    No individual can be forced to get vaccinated: Supreme Court Supreme Court Of India
    New Omicron sub-variants can trigger new COVID-19 wave: Study South Africa
    Current COVID-19 surge can't be termed 4th wave: ICMR official Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)

    COVID-19 India

    COVID-19: India reports 3,377 new cases, 60 more deaths COVID-19
    COVID-19: India logs 3,303 new cases; 39 more deaths Coronavirus
    COVID-19: India reports 2,483 new cases, 1,399 more deaths COVID-19
    COVID-19: India reports 2,541 new cases, 30 more deaths COVID-19

    INSACOG

    Omicron in community transmission stage, dominant strain in metros: INSACOG COVID-19
    Mu, C.1.2 variants of SARS-CoV2 not found in India: INSACOG SARS-CoV-2
    COVID-19: Virologist Shahid Jameel resigns from government's genome sequencing group Union Health Ministry
    20 more people contract new coronavirus strain, tally reaches 58 India

    Omicron variant

    Beijing: Mass testing amid 'grim' COVID-19 situation triggers lockdown fears Beijing
    COVID-19: How concerning is new Omicron variant discovered in Delhi? Delhi
    COVID-19: India reports 949 new cases, 6 more deaths Delhi
    COVID-19: India logs 1,109 new cases, 43 more deaths COVID-19
    Next News Article

    Love India News?

    Subscribe to stay updated.

    India Thumbnail
    Indian Premier League (IPL) Celebrity Hollywood Bollywood UEFA Champions League Tennis Football Smartphones Cryptocurrency Upcoming Movies Premier League Cricket News Latest automobiles Latest Cars Upcoming Cars Latest Bikes Upcoming Tablets
    About Us Privacy Policy Terms & Conditions Contact Us Ethical Conduct Grievance Redressal News News Archive Topics Archive Download DevBytes Find Cricket Statistics
    Follow us on
    Facebook Twitter Linkedin
    All rights reserved © NewsBytes 2023