Know About The New Variant Triggering Fresh Spike As India Sees 27% Jump In COVID Cases

New Delhi: Amid World Health Organisation’s warning about COVID XBB.1.16, triggering a recent infection spike, India saw a jump of 27% with 3,823 new COVID-19 cases being reported in the last 24 hours.

“XBB.1.16 has replaced other circulating sub-variants in India. So this is one to watch. It’s been in circulation for a few months,” WHO’s COVID-19 technical lead Maria Van Kerkhove said.

Notably, the highest proportional increase of new COVID cases was observed in India, in the Southeast Asia Region, according to the WHO’s latest data for February 27 to March 26, 2023. However, so far, reports do not indicate a rise in hospitalisations, ICU admissions, or deaths due to XBB.1.16.

Noting that the variant needed close monitoring, Maria Van Kerkhove expressed concern over the ‘potential of the virus to change to become not only more transmissible but more severe’. “It has one additional mutation in the spike protein, which in lab studies shows increased infectivity as well as potential increased pathogenicity. So, we have to remain vigilant,” she added.

So far, the variant has been reported in 22 countries. It is a recombinant of BA.2.10.1 and BA.2.75 and has three additional mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein (E180V, F486P and K478R) compared to its parent lineage XBB, the WHO said.

Besides 3,823 new cases, one death each has reported from Delhi, Haryana, Kerala and Rajasthan in a span of 24 hours and one reconciled by Kerala. The daily positivity rate stands at 2.87 per cent and active cases at 18,389.