The World Health Organization (WHO) reported on Friday the detection of a new variant of Omicron, called XE, which could have, so far, greater transmissibility than the rest of the SARS-CoV-2 mutations, causing COVID-19.

According to the health authority, the Omicron XE mutation was reported for the first time on January 19 in the United Kingdom, and currently has more than 600 sequences.

The WHO specified that XE is composed of two subvariants of the Omicron, BA.1 and BA.2.

On Saturday, the first case of Omicron XE was reported in a patient in Thailand, the Bangkok Post disclosed. The first person found with this variant has already recovered after developing mild symptoms, The Nation reported.

Thailand records first case of ‘more contagious’ Omicron XE https://t.co/oxcZ7qnupe

— Nizam (@cfuzam) April 3, 2022

“WHO continues to closely monitor and assess the public health risk associated with recombinant variants, along with other SARS-CoV-2 variants,” a representative said.

In this regard, he explained that XE is a mutation of the Omicron variant of Covid-19, while clinical trials have not recorded differences in the transmission and characteristics of the pandemic.

For its part, the UK Health Security Agency reported that the XE mutation is 10 percent more transmissible than the Omicron BA.2 variant, with the highest number of infections to date.

-Thailand News (TN)