PUNE: In India, eight states have so far reported the fast spreading XBB subvariant of Covid’s Omicron virus — Tamil Nadu (52 cases), Odisha (35), West Bengal (17), Maharashtra (17), Delhi (6), Karnataka (6), Gujarat (2) and Rajasthan (1).
Scientists of INSACOG, said BA. 2. 75 was still the lead strain but fast losing that position. BA. 2. 75 prevalence in samples is down to 70% from 88% last week. InSeptember, this subvariant was responsible for 93% of India’s Covid infections.
In India, scientists said currently, XBB is being detected in some 20% of cases. BA. 2 subvariant is in 7% of cases and prevalence of BA. 5 is down to less than 3%. Last week, India detected a BQ. 1 infection in a Pune sample. It remains the only detection of the subvariant so far.
“XBB is moving ahead and reducing the share of BA. 2. 75. Most samples in thelatest run in West Bengal and Delhi had only XBB in them,” said a senior INSACOG scientist. INSACOG is a government-established consortium of 54 laboratories to monitor genomic variations.
Canada and England are also starting to report a rise in XBB infections, according to data from GISAID, an international research organisation that tracks changes in the virus.
Dr Rajesh Karyakarte, coordinator for genome sequencing in Maharashtra, said: “GISAID data shows the largest concentration of XBB and its spinoff variants (XBB. 1, XBB. 2 and XBB. 3) in Singapore, followed by India, Bangladesh, the US, Australia and Denmark. ” Singapore’s government has said XBB cases could peak mid-November.
Experts said XBB is racing Omicron variant BQ. 1. 1 to become the “most immune-evasive variant”, surpassing shared ancestor BA. 5 that was dominant worldwide this summer.