Omicron XE in India: A highly placed official verified to The Hindu that the XE variant of coronavirus, which is more contagious but not as severe as the Omicron form, was discovered in Gujarat on the same day that the Centre increased the supply of prophylactic dosages.
Officials from the Indian Sarscov2 Genome Consortium (INSACOG), a network of labs that tracks sequences, and the Union Health Ministry have yet to determine if it is an XE variant from a sample isolated in February.
Samples were sent to double confirm about Omicron XE
“Samples from Gujarat have been forwarded to NCDC, but based on what we’ve seen, this fits the description of XE better than the Mumbai definition,” the source added on the condition of anonymity.
The Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC), an INSACOG facility in Gujarat, has apparently confirmed the variation. Madhavi Joshi, the chief of the GBRC lab, declined to comment when contacted by The Hindu. The Hindu was unable to obtain any additional information on the Gujarati who tested positive for Omicron XE.
While mutations have resulted in the emergence of multiple coronavirus variants in the last two years, recombination variants occur when two separate lineages of the virus co-infect the same cell in the host and swap portions of their individual genomes. This results in a descendent variety with mutations found in both the virus’s original lineages. The Omicron XE variant, for example, is a recombinant of the Omicron variant’s BA.1 and BA.2 subtypes.
While the present XE variation has sparked public alarm due to the World Health Organization’s warning about its potential for increased infectivity, genome scientists have discovered other recombinants of the Sarscov2. In total, three hybrid or recombinant viruses have been discovered so far. XD, XE, and XF are the three varieties, with XD and XF is a blend of the Delta and Omicron variants.
Only 600 Omicron XE variants have been officially registered in the worldwide repository GISAID, which is causing debate among scientists over what fraction of genetic material from the BA.1 and BA.2 would entitle a variant to be classified as ‘XE.’
The person was doubly vaccinated and tested negative for COVID-19 on arrival in India, according to the Mumbai civic body that reported the probable Omicron XE case in Mumbai. However, she was determined to be positive and quarantined on March 2, 2022, during routine testing by Suburban Diagnostics. The results of the test the next day were negative.