Contagious Coronavirus variant XE identified, spreading in UK
A new coronavirus variant that could be the most transmissible yet has been identified in the United Kingdom.
The variant, known as XE, is a combination of the omicron subvariants BA.1 and BA.2. It was first detected in the U.K. on Jan. 19, according to the World Health Organization, though it has since been reported in India as well. As of late March, roughly 600 cases of it were identified.
Early estimates suggest XE is 10% more transmissible than BA.2 – sometimes referred to as “stealth omicron” – which would make it the most contagious variant yet. But WHO states in a recent report that “this finding requires further confirmation.” Its level of severity is not yet known.
The development comes as BA.2 has taken over both worldwide and in the U.S. as the dominant variant. While some states in the U.S. have started seeing increases in new coronavirus cases, experts don’t expect BA.2 to lead to another surge.
WHO is tracking XE under the umbrella of omicron, so as of now, it does not have its own Greek letter name. The organization said that “XE belongs to the omicron variant until significant differences in transmission and disease characteristics, including severity, may be reported.”
XE is an example of a so-called “recombinant” event, which involves two virus strains mixing their genetic material in the same cell that then replicates. WHO is also tracking another recombinant nicknamed “deltacron” that has been found in European countries but so far has not yet alarmed experts either.
WHO notes that “recombination is common among coronaviruses and is regarded as an expected mutational event.”
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