A new variant of Covid-19 has been detected in the UK, the World Health Organisation has said in its latest report. The new variant, according the WHO, is a mutant hybrid of previous versions.
Though the global health body warns that the new variant could be more transmissible than the previous strains, experts say it's too soon to make any such claims.
The new variant, named as XE, is a combination of two previous versions of the Omicron variant—BA.1 and BA.2.
The XE recombinant was first detected in the UK on January 19 and less than 600 sequences have been reported and confirmed since, the WHO said.
"Early-day estimates indicate a community growth rate advantage of 10 percent as compared to BA.2, however, this finding requires further confirmation,” it said.
The health body claims there are significant differences in transmission and disease characteristics between XE and the previous strains. It, however, admits not much is known about it at the moment.
"WHO continues to closely monitor and assess the public health risk associated with recombinant variants, alongside other SARS-CoV-2 variants, and will provide updates as further evidence becomes available,” it said.
Dr Rakesh Mishra, Director, Tata Institute for Genetics and Society, told ANI that there is no need to press the panic button in India.
"The new mutant XE emerged for the first time in mid-January, but I believe that there is no need to push a 'panic button'. So far, only 600 cases have been reported across the world. But we need to keep a close watch on it," he told the news agency.
Dr Mishra further said there is no indication that it can cause a wave of Covid-19.
