Fourth wave scare: Can Omicron XE cause trouble for India? Here's what Govt panel chief says

(Photo credit: ANI)

New Delhi: The recently detected Omicrom XE variant in Gujarat has triggered a conversation about another potential fourth wave of Covid-19 in India. While the daily case trajectory seems to be declining, health experts across the country are advising against lowering one's guards.

Amid the fourth wave scare, National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) chief NK Arora on Monday said there is “nothing to panic” as none of the cases reported here have caused any serious infection.

“Omicron giving rise to many new variants. It’s of X series like XE & others. These variants will keep on occurring. Nothing to panic about as none of these are causing serious diseases or at the moment from Indian data it doesn’t show a very rapid spread,” NK Arora was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

Omicron XE variant in India

The Omicron XE variant, which was first detected in the UK in January 2022, has reached India and has been found in Mumbai and Gujarat so far.

In Mumbai, the variant was found in a 50-year-old woman from South Africa while in Gujarat, a 67-year-old male, who recently visited Mumbai tested positive for the variant.

Symptoms of XE Variant

According to the UK Health Security Agency, XE comes with symptoms such as running noses, sneezing and sore throats, as opposed to the original strain of the virus which generally led to fever, coughs and a loss of taste or smell.

And the NHS added shortness of breath, feeling tired or exhausted, an aching body, a headache, a sore throat, a blocked or runny nose, loss of appetite, and diarrhoea.

Is the XE variant dangerous?

XE variant, which is a combination of two lineages of the highly transmissible Omicron variant BA.1 and BA.2 (stealth Omicron), has so shown no dangerous or deadly symptoms in patients.

Regarding the severity of the variant, Hopkins Univerity says that more information will be needed to confirm how deadly it is and how much damage it can cause.