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The UK has found 637 cases of an omicron XE variant in the country, and it’s a mix between the highly infectious BA.1 strain, which appeared late last year, and a new BA.2 variant, which is the country’s dominant omicron variant right now.
This situation is known as a “recombinant” – which is what happens when someone gets infected with two COVID variants at the same time. So what ends up happening is the variant’s genetic material is mixed with a patient’s body. Recombinants have already happened several times within the pandemic, and there isn’t enough data to figure out exactly how severe or transmissible this one is.
It’s been found in Thailand as well and comes at a time when China has also found a new strain called BA.1.1.
“This particular recombinant, XE, has shown a variable growth rate and we cannot yet confirm whether it has a true growth advantage. So far there is not enough evidence to draw conclusions about transmissibility, severity or vaccine effectiveness,” said UKHSA’s chief medical advisor, professor Susan Hopkins.
Dakika chache kila asubuhi ndizo unazohitaji. Kukaa hadi sasa juu ya vichwa vya habari vya dunia na Hadithi za Binadamu. Ni ya kufurahisha, ni ya kweli, ni ya bure. Uingereza imegundua kesi 637 za aina ya Omicron XE nchini humo, na ni mchanganyiko kati ya aina ya BA.1 yenye kuambukiza sana, ambayo ilionekana mwishoni mwa mwaka jana, na aina mpya ya BA.2 ambayo ni aina ya Omicron inayotawala nchini sasa. Hali hii inajulikana kama <unk>recombinant<unk> <unk> ambayo ni nini kinatokea wakati mtu anapopata maambukizi ya aina mbili za COVID wakati huo huo. Kwa hiyo kile kinachotokea ni kwamba chembe za urithi za tofauti hizo huchanganywa na mwili wa mgonjwa. Mabadiliko ya asili yametokea mara kadhaa katika janga hilo, na hakuna data ya kutosha kujua ni gani hasa ni kali au kuambukiza hii. Ugonjwa huo pia umegunduliwa nchini Thailand na unakuja wakati China pia imegundua aina mpya inayoitwa BA.1.1. <unk>Hii recombinant maalum, XE, imeonyesha kiwango cha ukuaji tofauti na hatuwezi bado kuthibitisha kama ina faida ya kweli ya ukuaji. "Hata hivyo, hakuna ushahidi wa kutosha wa kutoa hitimisho kuhusu kuambukizwa, ukali au ufanisi wa chanjo,"" alisema mshauri mkuu wa matibabu wa UKHSA, Profesa Susan Hopkins."