WHO monitoring new XE strain of omicron, but it may not stick

It might be more transmissible, but that doesn’t mean it’s more hardy.

So say epidemiologists who are monitoring the newly spawned XE variant of omicron known as a “recombinant” strain, born in a person infected with two versions of omicron. XE, made up of omicron BA.1 and “stealth omicron” B.A.2, was first detected in the U.K. in January and now numbers more than 600 cases, according to the U.K. Health Security Agency.

The World Health Organization put it on the map Monday by mentioning the monitoring in a report, reported ABC News. The agency said that preliminary estimates indicate XE is 10% more transmissible than BA.2.