As many countries lift restrictions related to the Covid-19 epidemic, a new variant has been discovered by health authorities, particularly in Britain.
Is XE a new Deltacron? The WHO is watching for the emergence of new strains linked to Covid-19. This was the case when the Delta and Omicron variants gave the “birth” of the XD recombination commonly referred to as Deltacron. From now the variants BA.1 and BA.2 would therefore be the basis of a new XE recombination.
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What is XE Recombination?
Recombination or recombinant XE is a mixture. It contains part of the Omicron BA.1 strain and new BA.2 sub variant, now the majority in France. This recombination phenomenon has already been observed with Deltacron and occurs when a patient is infected with two variants at the same time. The genetic materials then mix into a combination of two variants.
When and where was XE detected?
The United Kingdom is the first country to issue a warning on this issue. As indicated BFM TVthe website of Boris Johnson’s administration indicates that the XE recombination was first discovered on Jan. 19. Only 637 cases have been reported in Britain so far, but the WHO has warned that XE may be 10% more contagious than BA.2.
According to TF1Finland, Israel or Thailand have also reported cases. But as of April 6, India has been of concern as the first case of XE has been reported in Mumbai, the country’s most populous city and commercial capital.
Is XE dangerous?
In France, no medical or governmental institution reports the presence of recombinant XE in the territory, as specified by BFMTV. The WHO states that “initial estimates show that the variant (XE) has a 10% higher infection rate compared to BA.2”. Figures offset by the fact that “these allegations require more investigation”.
“Recombinant XE has shown variable infectivity and we cannot currently confirm whether it has a higher infectivity. At this time there is not enough evidence to draw conclusions about vaccine transmissibility, severity or resistance,” said Susan Hopkins , the chief medical adviser to the UK Health Safety Agency, on the government website when the first cases of XE were announced.
