XE is a “recombinant” strain of Omicron that is a mutation of the BA.1 and BA.2 strains. When a patient is infected with multiple variants of the Covid virus, recombinant mutations can occur.
The variants mix up their genetic material during replication, resulting in the formation of a new mutation, according to experts from the United Kingdom who published a paper in the British Medical Journal.
According to the World Health Organization, the new mutation XE appears to be 10 per cent more transmissible than the BA.2 sub-variant of the Omicron virus.
“Early-day estimates indicate a community growth rate advantage of 10% when compared to BA.2, but further confirmation of this finding is needed,” the global health organisation stated.
According to the United Kingdom’s health agency, XE was discovered for the first time on January 19 and 637 cases of the new variant have been reported so far.
Meanwhile, the BA.2 sub-variant of the Omicron virus is spreading swiftly around the world. According to the most recent poll conducted by the Office for National Statistics, around 4.9 million persons in the United Kingdom were assessed to have contracted Covid-19 in the week ending March 26, an increase of 600,000 over the previous week.
USA & China:
The BA.2 variation has also been linked to an increase in Covid cases in the United States and China. As of March, the country had reported approximately 104,000 domestic Covid infections, with more than 90% of the most recent cases occurring in Shanghai or northeastern Jilin province.
Published By – Damandeep Singh
Edited By- Kritika Kashyap
