Maharashtra reports 18 cases of Omicron's XBB sub-variant; know all about the new strain

Maharashtra has witnessed a surge in cases of the XBB sub-variant of Omicron, with at least 18 cases detected so far in the month of October, PTI reported on October 19, citing the state health department. According to a health official, 13 of the cases emerged from the city of Pune, with two each from Thane, Akola and Nagpur.

“As per INSACOG labs' latest report, 18 cases of XBB variant have been reported in the state in the first fortnight of October month,” the unnamed official said. Pune, apart from the cases belonging to the new strain, has reported one case each of BQ.1 and BA.2.3.20 sub-variants of Omicron. The cases were reported between September 24 and October 11. According to the report’s primary information, all the cases were mild in severity.

The report further added that the BQ.1 case in Pune is mild, and has a history of travel to the United States. "Genetic mutations are part of the natural life cycle of the virus and there is no need to be concerned about this but to take appropriate precautions for COVID containment," it said. While 15 infected persons (18 of XBB and one each of BQ.1 and BA.2.3.20) had been inoculated against the coronavirus, details about the other new cases are yet to be received. 

What is the XBB subvariant?

The XBB subvariant, which has gone rampant in countries like Singapore and the Philippines, is a recombinant of two subvariants of the highly-transmissible Omicron strain. “The XBB variant is the latest in a series of variants that have emerged in countries with high vaccination rates," Dr Paul Tambyah, president of the Asia Pacific Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infection said.

Tambyah, in a conversation with Today, also revealed the reason behind the emergence of the new subvariant. “Over time, all viruses evolve and become more transmissible and less virulent," he said. Speaking to CNN Philippines on October 19, OCTA Research Fellow Guido David said that "the XBB is a recombinant of two Omicron subvariants, and we have been monitoring this for some time because we are seeing a rise in cases in Singapore.”

Symptoms of the subvariant

"It is definitely more infectious than the (Omicron subvariant) BA.5 because the case rise is quite fast compared to BA.5," he added. According to David, symptoms of the subvariant are similar to other variants and strains of COVID-19, such as runny nose, cough, sore throat, fever, sneezing, and body pain. In severe cases, symptoms include diarrhoea, nausea, and vomiting.

As per Singapore’s ministry of health, there is a lack of evidence to prove if the XBB subvariant is relatively severe than older variants of the coronavirus. Local data analysed by the ministry reveals that cases of the XBB subvariant are estimated to have a 30% lower risk of seeking hospital treatment in comparison with the cases of the Omicron BA.5 variant.

Raj Rajnarayanan, a professor at the New York Institute of Technology in Arkansas, told the Fortune that the new subvariant is “probably the most immune-evasive yet” as it is an amalgamation of other mutated COVID-19 strains.