Maharashtra govt warns of Covid spike citing evasive XBB variant

The Maharashtra government on Monday warned of Covid spike due to XBB, a highly infectious sub-variant of Omicron. The state witnessed a 17.7 per cent rise in infection cases this week and now fears that this number may go up in the coming weeks due to the new variant, which was first detected in Singapore.  

India too has reported some cases of this new variant.

In a bulletin, the Maharashtra health department said the XBB variant reported in the state had a ‘growth advantage over BA.2.75 and immune evasive property’.

The BA.2.3.20 and BQ.1 variants have also been detected in the state, a first for the country. The bulletin said that new coronavirus cases rose by 17.17 per cent in the October 10-16 period when compared to last week between October 3 and 9. The spike was particularly in densely-populated Thane, Raigad, and Mumbai.

The bulletin said that some experts are predicting a rise in Covid cases in the coming winter season, especially in the festive season.

The proportion of BA.2.75, an Omicron sub-variant, among cases detected had decreased from 95 per cent to 76 per cent, it said, adding that people must not ignore flu-like symptoms and should get medical advice at the earliest.

“They must observe Covid-appropriate behaviour at the earliest. Persons with comorbidities need to take extra precautions while visiting public places. Persons suffering from an influenza-like illness should avoid public contact as much as possible,” the bulletin advised.

Kerala too has started intensifying preventive measures in the state. In a statement, Kerala Health Minister Veena George said as the new genetic variants – XBB and XBB1 – of Covid are more contagious than earlier ones, everyone should be more careful and wear masks properly for self-protection.

The minister said around 1.8 per cent of those infected by the new variants may require hospitalisation, but as of now, there was no cause for concern.

(With inputs from PTI)