New Omicron XE variant arrives in Thailand
Thailand reported its first case of Omicron XE on Saturday. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the new hybrid is a combination of two previous versions of the Omicron variant.
The mutant hybrid is a mix of the BA.1 and BA.2 variants, the Center for Medical Genomics, Ramathibodi Hospital reported.
On Facebook, as reported by Bangkok Post, the center posted that the XE recombinant was found through genomic sequencing of a swab sample taken from a Thai patient, adding that the XE recombinant is not the Deltacron variant.
The XE, warned the WHO on Tuesday, could be the most contagious strain of the new coronavirus although its severity is still being investigated.
The first Omicron XE was first detected in the United Kingdom on January 19 this year and more than 600 sequences were reported and have been confirmed since.
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