COVID-19 | Hours after Mumbai announces detection of XE variant, Centre denies report citing INSACOG analysis

The Union health ministry on April 6 denied reports that a case of XE variant of SARS CoV 2 virus has been confirmed in India.

The clarification came within hours of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation announcing that a case of the recombinant variant which has triggered worries of a fresh wave of COVID-19 infections, has been found in Mumbai.

“FastQ files in respect of the sample, which is being said to be 'XE' variant were analysed in detail by genomic experts of INSACOG who have inferred that the genomic constitution of this variant does not correlate with the genomic picture of 'XE' variant,” said the health ministry.

According to scientists, XE is a BA.1/BA.2 recombinant, or combination of two sub-types of Omicron variant, has a majority of the genome including the S gene belonging to BA.2 but it also contains several characteristics of BA.1.

This recombinant was first detected in the UK on January 19 this year and nearly its 800 sequences have been reported and confirmed since then.

A clear growth advantage of this new variant, and the epidemiological effect it might have, however, are yet to be established and are being closely monitored by the World Health Organisation.

A bulletin released by the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme in Maharashtra on April 6 said that the new XE variant has been found in a 50-year-old woman, a South African national who had arrived in India on February 27.

“Her lab sample has been referred to Kasturba Hospital Central laboratory for whole genome sequencing. It has been found to be a new XE variant in initial sequencing,” said the bulletin.

“Though GISAID (the international repository of genomic sequencing of viruses) also confirmed it, INSACOG has decided to go for another round of genomic sequencing at the national laboratory for confirmation of the XE variant.”

The woman was totally asymptomatic and had been found negative on repeat RTPCR testing, it also said.

Top sources in INSACOG, however, told Moneycontrol that the state IDSP team may have made an “interpretative error”.

“What matters actually is what survival and transmission advantage would XE have against the backdrop of India’s population immunity and that is yet to be seen,” the sources said.