Active cases in India have crept past the 7,154 mark as of Thursday, and while it is far from the early pandemic chaos, it’s still worth raising an eyebrow. Kerala has emerged as the worst-affected state, reporting over 3,292 cases on its own since January this year. Health officials attribute the rise to highly transmissible variants such as JN.1, NB.1.8.1, and LF.7.
NB.1.8.1, the variant, informally known as Nimbus, is reportedly causing a sore throat that people have described as feeling like "razor blades". That is right; unlike subtle sniffles or loss of smell, Nimbus hits your throat hard.
What makes Nimbus particularly dangerous is its ability to slip past your immune defences. According to a not-yet-peer-reviewed study, this variant combines high ACE2 receptor affinity with a talent for evading antibodies. But Nimbus is not the only one. India has also reported over 150 cases of another new variant, XFG. This “recombinant variant” is the virological version of a remix, created when someone infected with both parent strains passes the mic to a mash-up mutation.
Should you be worried about the XFG variant?
According to experts, XFG is a recombinant subvariant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus—and it is formed by the mixing of two earlier variants, first detected in Canada. Scientists say the LF.7 and LP.8.1.2 have combined to form XFG. Recombinant variants emerge when a person is infected with two different strains of the virus simultaneously, and the virus "mixes and matches" its genetic material.
Is XFG dangerous?
At present, health authorities say there is no evidence that XFG can lead to severe illness or cause higher mortality compared to other Omicron sub-variants. However, it can be associated with mild upper respiratory symptoms in most vaccinated or previously infected individuals.
However, the virus remains unpredictable and can bind to human cells, which could cause new waves if left unchecked.
Signs and symptoms of XFG
A few striking signs and symptoms of XFG include:
Hoarseness or a hoarse voice among COVID-19 patients. Unlike earlier waves, where loss of taste and smell were hallmark symptoms, this time many patients complain of a dry or irritating cough accompanied by throat pain and hoarseness.
