A new omicron sub-variant has been detected in the U.K. as the country faces a renewed surge in Covid-19 hospitalizations.
XE contains a mix of the previously highly infectious omicron BA.1 strain, which emerged in late 2021, and the newer "stealth" BA.2 variant, currently the U.K.'s dominant variant.
It is what's known as a "recombinant," a type of variant that can occur when an individual becomes infected with two or more variants at the same time, resulting in a mixing of their genetic material within a patient's body.Such recombinants are not uncommon, having occurred several times duringData on the new variant's severity and ability to evade vaccines is not yet clear, though early estimates suggest it could be more transmissible than earlier strains.
The earliest confirmed XE case in Britain has a specimen date of Jan. 19 of this year, suggesting it could have been in circulation in the population for several months. It has also been detected beyond the U.K. inIt comes as the U.K. faces a new surge in infections. Still, the XE variant currently accounts for less than 1% of total Covid cases that have undergone genomic sequencing there.
Ireland Latest News, Ireland Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
New COVID Combo-Variant XE Found in U.K.A new COVID-19 variant, known as XE, has cropped up in the United Kingdom - a combination of the original Omicron strain and its subvariant BA.2 that may be more contagious than BA.2.
Read more »
Covid jabs: Why families are taking their children for a Covid vaccineChildren having the vaccination in Derby say the experience made their worries go.
Read more »
Covid-19: Four Covid-related deaths and 530 in hospitalThe total number of deaths linked to Covid-19 in NI since the start of the pandemic is 3,346.
Read more »
Covid-19: Two Covid-related deaths and 519 in hospitalThe total number of deaths linked to Covid-19 in NI since the start of the pandemic is 3,348.
Read more »
As BA.2 drives most COVID cases, new XE subvariant emergesOmicron BA.2 is driving the majority of COVID infections in the United States. But a new subvariant — dubbed XE — has been detected in the United Kingdom and needs to be monitored, experts say.
Read more »
We shouldn't dismiss 'incidental' covid-19 infections in UK hospitalsIt doesn’t matter that around half of people with covid-19 in hospital are primarily being treated for something else - the infections still have a major impact on health services, says ClareWilsonMed
Read more »