A new COVID-19 variant that combines the original omicron variant with the omicron subvariant BA.2 has been identified in the United Kingdom.
The new variant combination, known as XE, is a “recombinant” variant or a combination of two variants. Recombinant variants are common in viruses.
According to health care officials, the new variant is thought to be more contagious than BA.2, the subvariant of the original omicron variant. The World Health Organization said more research is needed to determine if it is more contagious.
BA.2 has become the dominant strain of the novel coronavirus in the U.S.
XE was first seen in the United Kingdom in January. According to health officials there, 637 cases of XE have been identified as of March 22.
The variant is being watched, but the public should not be overly alarmed by it, one researcher said.
“Right now, there’s really no public health concern,” said Dr. John Brownstein, an epidemiologist and chief innovation officer at Boston Children’s Hospital. “Recombinant variants happen over and over. In fact, the reason that this is the XE variant recombinant is that we’ve had XA, XB, XC, XD already, and none of those have turned out to be any real concern.”
There is no evidence so far that suggests the variant can escape the protection of vaccines or is more deadly.
The WHO said it is monitoring XE.
“WHO will continue to closely monitor and assess the public health risk associated with recombinant variants” and will “provide updates as further evidence becomes available,” according to a report published on March 29.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, XE isn’t being monitored by U.S. researchers. It has not been labeled as a “variant of interest” or “variant of concern.”