Maharashtra Covid scare: Genome sequencing detects 40 XBB.1.16 samples across state

Mumbai: A lab report released by the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) revealed that 40 genome sequence samples of the XBB.1.16 variant of coronavirus were detected in Maharashtra. The state health department has now instructed all districts to focus on genome sequencing of international passengers from high-risk countries and also to check for local cluster cases.

This comes after the centre revealed that in seven districts – especially Mumbai, Thane and Pune – there has been a surge in Covid cases which has pushed the state positivity rate to 1.92%, higher than the country's positivity rate of 0.61%.

Senior health officials said it will be too early to comment on whether a new variant is a cause for the rise in covid cases across Maharashtra as there isn't much information available on the XBB.1.16 variant. “We are following advisories issued by the ministry, including testing-tracking-treating-vaccinating,” said a state health officer.

Health experts said the XBB.1.16 variant – a derivative of the fast-spreading XBB.1 – could be behind the recent surge in Covid cases in India. Most strains isolated from Indian travellers to Singapore, the US and Brunei recently have been XBB.1.16. “So, this sub-variant could be driving the ongoing spike. It is also possible that XBB.1.16 may have originated in India,” the expert said, adding that the variant could eventually dominate all other SARS-CoV-2 variants in circulation.

BMC's Executive Health Officer, Dr Mangala Gomare said the civic authorities are keeping a close check on Covid and H3N2 cases due to which all community health volunteers have been directed to conduct door-to-door surveys. “While there has been an increase in the number of Covid cases, none of the cases is severe,” she said.