Pune discovers new, highly infectious COVID-19 variant

The country is currently facing a surge in COVID-19 cases due to the emergence of a new variant named 'XBB.1.16'. This variant was first detected in Pune and is known to have high infectivity, causing a rapid increase in the number of patients. BJ Medical College in Pune has also expressed concerns about the rise in cases due to the high infectivity of this new variant.

With the number of newly diagnosed COVID-19 patients in the country exceeding 10,000, the Central Health Department has noticed a continuous rise in the number of patients currently undergoing treatment. Additionally, there has been a consistent increase in the number of COVID-19 patients in the state for the past 20 days.

The level of change in a virus's spike protein plays a crucial role in determining its infectiousness. The 'Delta' variant, previously deemed the most deadly in the country, was surpassed by the emergence of the Omicron variant in early 2021. Consequently, the incidence of Delta infections declined while Omicron cases increased.

The rate of COVID-19 cases has been on the rise, but fortunately, many individuals have been able to recover from the infection at home with appropriate medication, without requiring hospitalization. Currently, a new variant labelled 'XBB.1.16' has been identified.

There have been several new variants of COVID-19 that have emerged, including 'BA.1' and 'BA.2' which originated from the Omicron variant. Additionally, a combination of the 'BJ1' and 'BM.1.1.1' variants led to the formation of a new variant called 'XBB'.