COVID-19: Centre Says, "Evidence Doesn't Suggest Presence Of New XE Variant"

Amid reports of the Greater Mumbai Municipal Corporation stating that a patient tested positive for the XE variant of COVID-19, a member of the Maharashtra coronavirus task force, Dr Shashank Joshi remarked that there was no need to panic while urging all to adhere to COVID-19 appropriate behaviour. 

Mumbai XE variant case occurred in first week in March from an international travellor who fully recovered but Genomic data is out today .No need to panic ,follow covid appropriate behavior 🙏

— Dr. Shashank Joshi (@AskDrShashank) April 6, 2022

Joshi mentioned that the Mumbai XE mutant case transpired in the first week of March in an international traveller who fully recovered. However, the genome data for the same was declared on Wednesday, April 6.

Further, he elaborated on how official sources the sample was being said to be the XE variant was comprehensively analyzed by experts of the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) who inferred that the genomic constitution of the said variant is not correlated with the genomic picture of the XE variant. 

FastQ files in respect of the sample, which is being said to be 'XE' variant were analysed in detail by genomic experts of INSACOG who have inferred that the genomic constitution of this variant does not correlate with the genomic picture of 'XE' variant: Official sources

— Dr. Shashank Joshi (@AskDrShashank) April 6, 2022

On the other hand, news agency ANI reported that the evidence does not suggest the presence of the XE variant in India and denied earlier accounts suggesting that the variant has been detected in India. 

The Maharashtra health department in its bulletin elucidated how the new variant was detected in a vaccinated woman (50) who is a citizen of South Africa with no comorbidity and is asymptomatic. The statement by the Union Ministry of Health reportedly mentioned, "She had come from South Africa on February 10 and had no prior travel history. On arrival, she had tested negative for the virus."

.@MoHFW_INDIA Clarification on Reported Case of #COVID XE Variant in #Mumbai:

➡️ Hours after report of detection of XE variant of Coronavirus in Mumbai, @MoHFW_INDIA has said present evidence does not suggest the presence of the new variant.@PIB_India@COVIDNewsByMIB

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— PIB in Maharashtra 🇮🇳 (@PIBMumbai) April 6, 2022