An Omicron variant of the coronavirus namely XBB.1.16, which is a recombinant virus of Omicron has been attributed to a recent spike in covid cases in India. In this article, you can read all about the new variant, and whether it is a cause for concern in India or not. This is an important topic for the IAS exam health as well as current affairs segments.
How is XBB.1.16 Lineage Cause for Concern?
- The XBB.1.16 variant has been detected in around 14 countries across the world and the earliest sequence of this lineage originated in a viral genome detected in NewYork.
- The XBB.1.16 lineage evolved from the XBB lineage and is a recombinant lineage of the SARS-COV2 virus.
- The XBB.1.16 lineage also has various mutations and initial data suggest that this variant has a superior advantage when compared with other SARS-CoV-2 lineages including XBB.1.5 lineage.
- In the middle of an uptick in seasonal influenza H3N2 cases, there is also a spike in COVID-19 cases in March 2023 despite a low number of tests conducted.
- The total number of cases increased to 6000 in India and XBB.1.16 lineage is considered to be the reason behind the spike in cases.
- Genomic surveillance data also reveals that XBB.1.16 accounts for more than 30% of all sequenced genomes in march 2023 and its share of infection is increasing.
- Preliminary data suggest that there is no difference in clinical severity between XBB.1.16 and other Omicron variants, but there is a chance of a higher risk of reinfection with XBB.1.16 lineage due to its fast-growing ability.
- Hence it is important to monitor the spread of this XBB.1.16 lineage if the Covid-19 cases continue to increase.
Also read: H3N2 and Influenza Virus
How does SARS-CoV-2 evolve?
- SARS-CoV-2 continues to evolve after multiple waves of infection since the pandemic occurred in 2020 in India.
- Recombinant or Chimeric genomes will evolve after recombination between genomes through the co-infection of multiple variants.
- While most recombinations may not result in powerful variants, it is important to monitor such variants as there is a possibility that a rare variant may create a new lineage with more functional capabilities than its parent lineages.
- Over the course of the Covid-19 pandemic, several variants have emerged and are identified and named by the PANGO network.
- PANGO network is an international consortium of researchers for naming variants of SARS-COV2 lineages which has established a system for identifying and designating SARS-COV2 recombinants.
- PANGO network has so far identified and designated around 100 recombinant lineages starting with the letter ‘X’ and followed by the letter to identify the order of detection.
SARS-CoV-2 XBB.1.16 Lineage:- Download PDF Here
Comments