While most of the world continues to take steps to remove restrictions due to the pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) continues to monitor the evolution of the coronavirus and its new variants and subvariantsincluding the one known as XE.
Originally identified in United Kingdom in the middle of January, last Thursday Brazil confirmed the first infection by this subvariant, after identifying it the day before in a genetic examination of the sample of a patient in São Paulo.
XE is a recombinant, specifically a combination of the original omicron and its subvariant BA.2. A recombinant variant It occurs when an individual is infected with two or more variants at the same time, so their genetic material is mixed within the patient’s body, according to the British Health Security Agency (UKHSA). According to the WHO, recombination is a common phenomenon among coronaviruses.
According to the Organization, the recombinant XE was first detected last January 19 and is being monitored as part of the omicron variant. in his last weekly report on COVID-19dated April 5, the WHO notes that early estimates suggest that XE has a 10% transmission advantage with respect to subvariant BA.2. However, he adds that this finding requires additional confirmation.
For its part, a UKHSA report published this Friday encrypted in 1,179 cases of the XE variant those detected in the United Kingdom until April 5. As for his Transmission speed, the analysis points out that the most recent data shows a growth rate of XE 12.6% higher than that of BA.2, an advantage that reached 20.9% in the last three weeks. However, the agency clarifies that, as they are not consistent, these data cannot yet be interpreted as an estimate of their growth advantage.
According to Professor Susan Hopkins, UKHSA Chief Medical Adviser, the recombinant XE has shown a variable growth rate, so it has not yet been possible to confirm whether it truly has a growth advantage. According to the expert, there is not enough evidence even to draw conclusions about its transmissibility, the severity of the disease or the effectiveness of vaccines against it.
In any case, the WHO warns that the risk of emergence of new variantsincluding recombinants, remains very high.
Source: Lasexta
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