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The first case of XE variant was detected in Maharashtra and now second case has been detected in Gujarat. A case of the Kappa variant was also detected, the official said, adding the results came in genome sequencing of 376 samples, the 11th batch of testing in genome sequencing lab.
The XE variant is a mutation of the BA.1 and BA.2 Omicron strains, referred to as a “recombinant”. As per the initial studies, the XE variant has a growth rate of 9.8 percent over that of BA.2, also known as the stealth variant because of its ability to evade detection.
The World Health Organization has said the latest mutant may be more transmissible than the previous ones.
