India records a sudden increase in Covid-19 with thousands of new cases daily. Read to know more about the XBB.1.16 variant of Omicron and its symptoms.
What is the XBB.1.16 Omicron variant?
A new study reveals XBB.1.16 Omicron variant to be behind the newest Covid-19 surge in India. The variant with an effective reproductive number (Re) of 1.127 than XBB.1 and XBB.1.5 is expected to spread worldwide. “At the end of March 2023, XBB.1.16, a SARS-CoV-2 omicron XBB subvariant, emerged and was detected in various countries. Compared to XBB.1.5, XBB.1.16 has two substitutions in the S protein: E180V is in the N-terminal domain, and T478K in the receptor-binding domain (RBD),” revealed the study.
The study suggests the new variant has a more significant growth advantage and is more immune evasive. The World Health Organization (WHO) also called it ‘the one to watch’. Moreover, as many as 6,050 new cases are being recorded in the country. “The WHO classified XBB.1.16 as a variant under monitoring on March 30, 2023. Neutralization assays demonstrated the robust resistance of XBB.1.16 to breakthrough infection sera of BA.2 (18-fold versus B.1.1) and BA.5 (37-fold versus B.1.1),” it added.
Updated symptoms of the new COVID-19 variant
Some of the main symptoms are high temperature, cough, non-purulent diarrhea, and cold. However, unlike the preceding waves, itchy conjunctivitis and sticky eyes are some common complaints. “The symptoms of this new variant are also mostly low-grade flu-like. People may experience symptoms in the upper and lower respiratory tract. In terms of upper respiratory tract symptoms, people may experience nasal discharge, a sore throat, a slow-rising fever that lasts for one or two days, and loss of smell,” explained Dr. Kuldeep Grover. Dr. Grover is the Head of Critical Care & Pulmonology, at CK Birla Hospital. (https://basicbluesnation.com/)