Amid mounting concerns over new COVID variants reported frequently, people fear the severity and impact of the symptoms on human health. With Coronavirus variant XE reportedly existent in India, top health experts have informed that XE, which is a mutation of BA’1 and BA.2 Omicron strains, is unlikely to cause a significant impact in India, unlike Delta variant.
As the world fears the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic which is expected to reach India in June this year, let’s understand the difference between various COVID variants reported so far.
According to a study from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur, the fourth wave of the COVID is expected to affect India and will last two to three months and end in October 2022.
How to differentiate between Delta, Omicron, and XE symptoms?
Though there are many ways to differentiate Delta, Omicron, and XE symptoms, clinically, one can never distinguish between any of the variants. Researchers had recently identified XD, XE, and XF strains of the Coronavirus, which are the three hybrid strains of the virus. It is learned that the XD and XF variants are a mix of Delta and BA.1, while the XE variant is a mix of two Omicron subvariants.
Symptoms and severity of the Coronavirus infection vary from person to person based on immunity established from previous infections and vaccination history.
| Delta | Omicron | XE | |
| Common Symptoms | Fever, sore throat, scratchy throat, cough and cold, skin irritation and pigmentation, gastrointestinal upset | Fever, sore throat, scratchy throat, cough and cold, skin irritation and pigmentation, gastrointestinal upset |
Fever, sore throat, scratchy throat, cough and cold, skin irritation and pigmentation, gastrointestinal upset |
| Unique symptoms | Breathlessness, pneumonia | Headache, stuffy nose, fatigue, joint pain | Milder symptoms of Omicron variant |
| Signs of serious diseases | Heart illness, palpitation, and severe nerve diseases |
Minimal impact on the lungs and respiratory health |
Heart illness, palpitation, and severe nerve diseases |
WHO on new COVID variant XE
The World Health Organisation had said that compared to the BA.2 sub-variant of Omicron, the new mutation XE appears to be 10% more transmissible.
WHO had mentioned, “Early-day estimates indicate a community growth rate advantage of 10 percent as compared to BA.2, however, this finding requires further confirmation.”
(Image: UNSPLASH)
Amid mounting concerns over new COVID variants reported frequently, people fear the severity and impact of the symptoms on human health. With Coronavirus variant XE reportedly existent in India, top health experts have informed that XE, which is a mutation of BA’1 and BA.2 Omicron strains, is unlikely to cause a significant impact in India, unlike Delta variant. As the world fears the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic which is expected to reach India in June this year, let’s understand the difference between various COVID variants reported so far. According to a study from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur, the fourth wave of the COVID is expected to affect India and will last two to three months and end in October 2022. How to differentiate between Delta, Omicron, and XE symptoms? Though there are many ways to differentiate Delta, Omicron, and XE symptoms, clinically, one can never distinguish between any of the variants. Researchers had recently identified XD, XE, and XF strains of the Coronavirus, which are the three hybrid strains of the virus. It is learned that the XD and XF variants are a mix of Delta and BA.1, while the XE variant is a mix of two Omicron subvariants. Symptoms and severity of the Coronavirus infection vary from person to person based on immunity established from previous infections and vaccination history. Delta Omicron XE Common Symptoms Fever, sore throat, scratchy throat, cough and cold, skin irritation and pigmentation, gastrointestinal upset Fever, sore throat, scratchy throat, cough and cold, skin irritation and pigmentation, gastrointestinal upset Fever, sore throat, scratchy throat, cough and cold, skin irritation and pigmentation, gastrointestinal upset Unique symptoms Breathlessness, pneumonia Headache, stuffy nose, fatigue, joint pain Milder symptoms of Omicron variant Signs of serious diseases Heart illness, palpitation, and severe nerve diseases Minimal impact on the lungs and respiratory health Heart illness, palpitation, and severe nerve diseases WHO on new COVID variant XE The World Health Organisation had said that compared to the BA.2 sub-variant of Omicron, the new mutation XE appears to be 10% more transmissible. WHO had mentioned, “Early-day estimates indicate a community growth rate advantage of 10 percent as compared to BA.2, however, this finding requires further confirmation.” (Image: UNSPLASH)