‘I am NOT locking down’ Defiant Britons stand against more curbs as new Covid strain soars

XE is a so-called “recombinant” – meaning it contains a mixture of the previously highly-infectious Omicron BA.1 strain, which emerged in late 2021, and the more recent BA.2 variant, currently the country’s dominant strain.

A report released last week by the World Health Organization (WHO) read: “Early-day estimates indicate a community growth rate advantage of 10 percent as compared to BA.2, however this finding requires further confirmation.

“XE belongs to the Omicron variant until significant differences in transmission and disease characteristics, including severity, may be reported.”

As of Wednesday, April 6, the XE strain had been detected in 637 patients in England, according to the latest statistics from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSCA), which added there is currently not enough evidence to draw conclusions on its transmissibility or severity.

Article source: https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/1593725/covid-restrictions-uk-new-coronavirus-strain-boris-johnson-lockdown-update