COVID-19: Gujarat Detects First Case of Omicron Sub-Variant XE

Ahmedabad: Gujarat reported its first case of XE, a sub-variant of Omicron, after a man from Mumbai tested positive for COVID-19 during his visit to Vadodara, an official said on Saturday. 

The man had tested positive for the infection last month and later returned to Mumbai. But the report about detection of the XE sub-variant in him was received on Friday, he said, adding that the man's current status is not known to the authorities in Vadodara.       

XE, the latest mutant of Omicron may be more transmissible than the previous ones, the World Health Organisation has said.       

"A man from Santa Cruz in Mumbai, had tested positive for COVID-19 on March 12 during his visit to Vadodara. His wife was accompanying him," Medical Officer of Health, Vadodara Municipal Corporation, Devesh Patel said.       

As per the results of his sample's genome sequencing received yesterday, he is found to have been infected with the new mutant XE, a sub-variant of Omicron, he said.     

The man had visited Vadodara due to some work and stayed at a hotel. After developing fever, he got himself tested for COVID-19 at a private lab, the result of which came positive, Patel said.      

"He was found positive on March 12. His sample was sent for genome sequencing. As per the result, declared yesterday, he was found infected with a new mutant XE variant," he said.       

"He had provided local address of his relatives for his sample. He had returned to Mumbai on his own soon after. No further status of the patient is known to the local authorities," Patel added.

India reports 1,150 new COVID-19 cases, 83 fatalities

India reported a single-day rise of 1,150 new COVID-19 cases, taking the infection tally in the country to 4,30,34,217, while the count of active cases fell to 11,365, according to the Union Health Ministry said in New Delhi on Saturday.

The death toll due to the disease has climbed to 5,21,656 with 83 daily fatalities being reported, data updated by the ministry at 8 am showed.

The count of active cases currently comprises 0.03 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate is at 98.76 per cent, the ministry said.

A reduction of 127 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours, the data showed.

While the daily positivity rate was recorded at 0.25% , the weekly positivity rate was at 0.23%, according to the health ministry.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease has surged to 4,25,01,196, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.21%, the data showed.

The cumulative number of doses administered in the country so far under the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive has exceeded 185.55 crore.

The 83 new fatalities include 75 from Kerala.