Gujarat reported the first case of XE variant of COVID-19, a sub-variant of Omicron that may be more transmissible strain, according to top sources in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

The ministry said that the patient tested positive for COVID-19 on March 13 and recovered in a week.

After genome-sequencing, it has been discovered that the patient was infected with the XE variant of coronavirus. However, the sample will be re-examined to confirm that it is the XE variant, government sources said.

Meanwhile, one case each of the XM variant has also been found in Gujarat and Maharashtra's Mumbai.

The new variant, XE, is a mutant hybrid of two versions of Omicron - BA.1 and BA.2. It only accounts for a small fraction of cases across the globe at the moment.

It appears to be around ten per cent more transmissible than the BA.2 sub-variant of Omicron, as per the World Health Organisation.

Until now, the BA.2 sub-variant of Omicron was considered the most contagious strain of Covid-19.

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