The World Health Organization has issued a warning against a new mutant strain called XE, saying it may be more transmissible than any variant of Covid-19.

Found in the United Kingdom, XE is a “recombinant”, meaning it is a hybrid strain of two Omicron sub variants – BA.1 and BA.2. In a statement, the health body said that XE could be 10% more transmissible than the BA.2 sub variant of Omicron.

“Early-day estimates indicate a community growth rate advantage of 10% as compared to BA.2,” the statement added. “However, this finding requires further confirmation.”

The World Health Organization said that the XE recombinant was first detected in the United Kingdom on January 19.

“…600 sequences have been reported and confirmed since,” it said. “XE belongs to the Omicron variant until significant differences in transmission and disease characteristics, including severity, may be reported.”

The health body said it is monitoring the situation and assessing any health risk to the public.

The UKHSA report

The United Kingdom’s Health Security Agency published a report on March 25, saying it has identified the XE strain.

“Early growth rates for XE were not significantly different from BA.2, but using the most recent data up to 16 March 2022, XE has a growth rate 9.8% above that of BA.2,” the report said.

As of March 22, there are 763 XE sequences in the country’s database, it noted.