New COVID-19 variant: What we know about the XE strain

Authorities are monitoring a new COVID-19 sub-variant.

XE  is a recombinant of Omicron BA.1 — the original Omicron strain— and BA.2, known as the ‘stealth variant’.

Infectious disease epidemiologist at the World Health Organisation, Maria Van Kerkhove, says it’s about 10 per cent more transmissible than BA.2, which spreads about 75 per cent faster than BA.1.

Health authorities have detected 637 cases of the new variant in England, and it’s also been found in Thailand.

It has not yet been detected in Australia.