First case of Covid variant XE in India 

The first case of the COVID variant XE, reported from Mumbai by the Municipal Corporation, shows no severe symptoms in the patient. 

Yesterday, Mumbai reported the first case of the XE variant of the Coronavirus. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation stated this in a press release. Further, Mumbai has also reported the first case of the Kappa variant. Both patients have detected no severe symptoms till now.  

Omicron was found in 99.13 percent of 230 samples from patients who took the 11th Covid virus genetic formula test, the ANI said. One patient is affected by the “XE” variant and another is affected by the “Kapa” variant of COVID-19, according to the BMC. 

About the XE variant 

The XE variant of the coronavirus is a sub-variant of the Omicron. It is a hybrid of the two omicron strains, BA.1 and BA.2. The variant was discovered for the first time in January in the United Kingdom. Since then, the WHO has witnessed more than 600 sequences.  

Further, its early indications suggest that it is 10% more transmissible than other mutants. Other countries that have recently detected the XE variant are Thailand and New Zealand. The WHO requires more data to provide any further information about the spread and effects of this variant.  

The symptoms include the same as with COVID-19, which is a sore throat, fever, cough, and cold. Other symptoms of the XE variant are skin irritation and discoloration, along with gastrointestinal distress. However, while the majority of the population is vaccinated and some have been affected by the virus previously, the effect of the variant may differ from person to person.  

Fatigue and dizziness are the initial symptoms seen when affected by this virus. Common symptoms like loss of smell and taste are not seen in patients affected by the XE variant. 

Official sources deny the arrival of XE variant 

The 11th genome sequencing has confirmed the infection as the XE and Kappa variants in both the patients. However, the government is in denial that the patients are affected by the sub-variants of Omicron. 

The official sources suggest that the early evidence cannot suggest that the virus is a sub-variant of Omicron. Further, the government said that the FastQ files were analysed by the INSACOG (Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium). The report inferred that the genomic constitution of this variant does not correlate with that of the XE variant. The FastQ files are the text-based format for storing both the biological sequence and its corresponding quality scores. 

Published by: Shivani Bhalke

Edited by: Subbuthai Padma