Mumbai: India’s first case of the XE variant of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) was reported from Mumbai today.
One case of the Kappa variant has also been detected. The patients with the new variants of the virus don’t have any severe symptoms so far.
The new strain was detected in the UK at the start of the new year, Britain’s health agency said on 3 April that XE was first detected on 19 January and 637 cases of the new variant have been reported in the country so far.
In its latest sero survey report, Mumbai’s civic body said they found one case of XE variant and one case of Kappa variant. Of the 230 samples sent for sero survey from patients from Mumbai, 21 were subsequently hospitalized. However, none needed oxygen support or intensive care, the report said.
Meanwhile, World Health Organisation’s chief scientist Dr Soumya Swaminathan has said new Covid-19 variants were unlikely to have a Delta-like impact in India in view of the country’s high vaccination rate, especially among the vulnerable population.