What to Know About the XE Variant

A new strain of Omicron, called XE, is spreading in the U.K., and a few cases have been identified elsewhere in the world. Here’s what we do—and don’t—know about the variant. What do we know about the XE variant so far? XE is a hybrid of the two now-familiar strains of Omicron: BA.1 (the original Omicron strain) and BA.2 (the more infectious related strain that’s now dominant in the U.S. and other countries). XE is known as a recombinant variant, which forms “when one SARS-CoV-2 strain picks up some genetic material from another SARS-CoV-2 strain,” explains Dr. Andrew Badley, a professor of infectious disease at the Mayo Clinic and chair of the SARS-CoV-2 COVID-19 Task Force for Mayo Clinic. That means the new recombinant variant picks up attributes associated with each strain, but not always that it turns into a more threatening version. “Recombinant variants are well described for other viruses and are not often associated with more danger,” Badley says. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] XE has three mutations that aren’t present in all BA.1 or BA.2 strains, according to the U.K. Health Security Agency (UKHSA). Experts say that since BA.1 and BA.2 are both circulating widely at the moment, it’s not surprising that a new combination strain has recently popped up. “Recombinant variants are not an unusual occurrence, particularly when there are several variants in circulation, and several have b...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized COVID-19 healthscienceclimate Source Type: news