Authorities Confirm First Omicron XE Case in Thailand

[snoop1130]

 

BANGKOK (NNT) - Thailand has reported its first case of Omicron XE, a hybrid of two previous Omicron variants, shortly after the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a warning about the new strain.

 

The Center for Medical Genomics at Ramathibodi Hospital confirmed the discovery of XE, a mutant hybrid of the BA.1 and BA.2 variants. The XE recombinant was discovered through genomic sequencing of a swab sample taken from a Thai patient.

 

According to the center, the XE recombinant is not the Deltacron variant.

 

The WHO warned last week that XE could be the most contagious strain of the new coronavirus, though its severity is still unknown.

 

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According to the WHO, Deltacron - a hybrid of the Delta and Omicron strains - does not spread quickly or cause severe symptoms, despite the unconfirmed discovery of another case via Massarray Genotyping.

 

Omicron XE was first detected in the United Kingdom on January 19th, 2022, and over 600 sequences have been reported and confirmed since then.

 

The UK Health Services Agency said Omicron XE is 10% more transmissible than BA.2 and 43% more transmissible than the original Omicron (BA.1) variant.

 

Health officials said it remains to be seen whether Omicron XE will become the dominant strain.

 

-- © Copyright NNT 2022-04-04

 

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[alyx]

OMG ....they should start reporting the evolution of the flue viruses too...

It is an endless non story 

 

If it is about contagion, one should try to focus on laughter, its contagiousness and its effect

[ukrules]

Right, I'll keep en eye open for this one then ????

[CartagenaWarlock]

So, covid is evolving to a flu like virus. Increase the booster vaccination rate, though recent death rates per million people in Europe, specially UK, France, and Germany is not very encouraging. USA is doing relatively better. You can't defeat the virus. Don't digress from your planned reopening. FDA (USA) has already approved second booster for 50-years older but there are not enough takers in the USA for the first booster itself. 

[tomster]

6 minutes ago, CartagenaWarlock said:

So, covid is evolving to a flu like virus. Increase the booster vaccination rate, though recent death rates per million people in Europe, specially UK, France, and Germany is not very encouraging. USA is doing relatively better. You can't defeat the virus. Don't digress from your planned reopening. FDA (USA) has already approved second booster for 50-years older but there are not enough takers in the USA for the first booster itself. 

Covid was never deadlier than flu for most people, the average of death from covid in the UK for example is 82.

 

I've had it twice, it was nowhere near the flu. Proper influenza is brutal, much worse than covid.

[candide]

36 minutes ago, tomster said:

Covid was never deadlier than flu for most people, the average of death from covid in the UK for example is 82.

 

I've had it twice, it was nowhere near the flu. Proper influenza is brutal, much worse than covid.

Really?????

 

"The World Health Organization estimates that 290,000 to 650,000 people die of flu-related causes every year worldwide.

The COVID-19 situation continues to change, sometimes rapidly. Doctors and scientists are working to estimate the mortality rate of COVID-19. At present, it is thought to be substantially higher (possibly 10 times or more) than that of most strains of the flu."

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/coronavirus/coronavirus-disease-2019-vs-the-flu

[tomster]

18 minutes ago, candide said:

Doctors and scientists are working to estimate the mortality rate of COVID-19. At present, it is thought to be substantially higher (possibly 10 times or more) than that of most strains of the flu."

Gonna need a link to a peer reviewed meta analysis to back that statement up especially as it basically says there are strains of the flu that are as deadly as Covid...

 

Any link will do.  But honestly I already know they don't exist and therefore your reply will not contain it.

 

Omicron XE is another mild "influenza type" illness, nothing more. If you are long term sick it may be dangerous to you but by now most people that are vulnerable have either had it and survived or died, just like the worse strains of flu.

 

If you are scared of Covid and love taking vaccines etc that's fine, but please stop shrilling about it here - it's really boring now.

 

 

 

[Stubby]

5 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Thailand has reported its first case of Omicron XE, a hybrid of two previous Omicron variants, shortly after the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a warning about the new strain.

Oh my goodness, here we go again! This news will be music to the ears of some on this forum. Seriously, there are folks on here who can't get enough of COVID-19... they absolutely LOVE IT. I would even go as far as to say they're going to need some serious therapy to cope with the withdrawal symptoms when the coronavirus conversation runs its course. 
 

Ee by gum, there's non funnier than folks, that's for sure!
 

My advice? Pop outside for 30 minutes a day and get yourself a free vitamin D top-up, fellas. It'll also give your eyes a healthy rest from this 'ere screen. ????

[candide]

6 hours ago, tomster said:

Gonna need a link to a peer reviewed meta analysis to back that statement up especially as it basically says there are strains of the flu that are as deadly as Covid...

 

Any link will do.  But honestly I already know they don't exist and therefore your reply will not contain it.

 

Omicron XE is another mild "influenza type" illness, nothing more. If you are long term sick it may be dangerous to you but by now most people that are vulnerable have either had it and survived or died, just like the worse strains of flu.

 

If you are scared of Covid and love taking vaccines etc that's fine, but please stop shrilling about it here - it's really boring now.

 

 

 

1. It's from the John Hopkins center which is a reliable source re Covid-19. The flu statistics are widely available, as well as  the number of Covid-19 deaths. Everyone knows that the number of Covid deaths in 2020 and 2021 was more than the number of flu related deaths. No need to be pedantic with meta-analysis B.S.

2. Your comment was not particularly about Omicron, you wrote "Covid was never deadlier than flu", if It's "never", it also includes the previous beta and delta variants which were much deadlier than the flu. 

[hotchilli]

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The WHO warned last week that XE could be the most contagious strain of the new coronavirus, though its severity is still unknown

Something else to look forward to.

[hughrection]

13 hours ago, tomster said:

Covid was never deadlier than flu for most people, the average of death from covid in the UK for example is 82.

Correct - 81 for males & 85 for females.

 

Life expectancy cut by 3 weeks for males & 3 days for females.

 

Average age of those who had died with COVID-19 - Office for National Statistics (ons.gov.uk)

[hughrection]

1 hour ago, hotchilli said:

Something else to look forward to.

The spike hasn't changed, so more contagious but not more dangerous. Just means that we will get natural immunity quicker. ???? 

 

Try to relax. ????

 

[zzaa09]

1 hour ago, hotchilli said:

Something else to look forward to.

Not if one ignores or discounts such things.