The omicron XE variant is putting scientists around the world on alert as they try to figure out if it is more contagious, or more serious, than known variants.
The British health authorities have detected more than 700 cases of the new subvariant of omicron in the UK, known as omicron XE, as experts try to establish whether it is more contagious or causes more severe symptoms than other variants.
According to the latest statistics released by the United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA), 763 cases of omicron XE were detected in the United Kingdom until March 22, while the country registers a rise in covid-19 infections.
Last weekend, the country had 4.9 million cases of covid, according to the National Statistics Office (ONS), and the authorities relate the rise to the lifting of the remaining restrictions to contain the pandemic.
Most of those 763 XE cases were detected in the south and southeast of England, as well as in London.
Authorities have indicated that scientists are working to understand omicron XE, which is a recombinant of the original omicron strain and the omicron BA.2 subvariant, known as sneaky omicron.
During the pandemic, experts have detected many variants, but some managed to become dominant, such as delta Y omicron.
So far, there is no evidence in the UK to suggest that omicron XE infections cause more severe symptoms than earlier variants of the virus or that vaccines do a good job of protecting the organism.
The medical adviser UKHSA Susan Hopkins indicated in a statement that, like other types, most variants will die relatively quickly.
“This particular recombinant, XE, has shown a variable growth rate and we cannot yet confirm if it has a true growth advantage. So far there is not enough evidence to draw any conclusions about the transmissibility, severity, or efficacy of the vaccine,” he added.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), recombinant XE was first detected in the UK on January 19 and early tests showed it could be more transmissible.