The Indian Sars-CoV-2 Genomic Consortium (INSACOG) asserted that there is no reason to panic amid emergence of COVID-19 ‘XE’ variant in the country. It said that it is keeping a close eye on the variant with a focus on hospitalisation and incidents of severity.

"Unless this sequence is verified after isolating the virus, we will not be able to comment on it. We will have to wait to know whether it is different or not," an official told ANI.

Earlier yesterday, a case of ‘XE’ variant was detected in Gujarat as confirmed by the Additional Chief Secretary of the Ministry of Health in Gujarat.

"We are in touch with the Governments of Maharashtra and Gujarat. Biotechnology research centre found the mutation in the sample that's why genome sequencing is required after which the sample was sent to Kolkata where they have confirmed the sample as an XE variant. We have got confirmation," said Manoj Agarwal, IAS, Additional chief secretary, Health and Family Welfare, Government of Gujarat.

Further, he said that the person who was found positive for the infection travelled from Maharashtra to Baroda in Gujarat.

"A 66-year-old person who travelled to Vadodara's Gotri from Mumbai was staying in a private hotel and showed symptoms of COVID-19 and he tested positive. But he went back by road to Mumbai. We have done contact tracing of three persons and all of them tested negative," he added.

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