India Reports 163 Cases Of XFG, New Covid-19 Variant: What Are The Symptoms?

Amid the Covid-19 resurgence, India has reported 6815 active Covid-19 cases as of Tuesday morning. A total of 324 fresh infections and 3 deaths have been reported in the past 24 hours. Kerala remains the most affected state with 2053 active cases, followed by Gujarat (1109), West Bengal (747), Delhi (691), and Maharashtra (613).

According to the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) data, 163 cases of the new Covid variant XFG have recently been detected across India.

XFG cases were reported in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Gujarat, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh. Maharashtra has reported the highest number of XFG cases with 89 infections.

XFG Covid variant: What we know so far

XFG variant is a descendant of the Omicron sub-variant. According to The Lancet journal, it was first detected in Canada.

XFG is a recombinant sub-variant, which means it originated from two variants, LF.7 and LP.8.1.2, in this case.

The Lancet study has mentioned that it can spread rapidly and it has "strong immune evasion". This allows the virus to survive and spread easily as it can evade the body's natural defences easily.

What are recombinant variants?

Recombinant variants are hybrid variants which emerge when a person is infected with two different Covid variants simultaneously. This leads to a mixing of genetic material, resulting in a new variant with characteristics from both strains.

The XFG variant harbours four key spike mutations - His445Arg, Asn487Asp, Gln493Glu, and Thr572Ile.

Is it dangerous?

Till now, there is no evidence that XFG can cause severe illness. Like most Omicron sub-variants, it appears to be associated with mild upper respiratory symptoms.

Earlier, Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Dr Rajiv Behl said that Omicron Sub-variants LF.7, XFG, JN.1, and NB. 1.8.1 are currently circulating in India. He also mentioned that the severity of infections is currently generally mild and there is no cause for worry.

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.