Mumbai resident who travelled to Vadodara tests positive for Omicron XE variant

The man had tested positive for the infection last month and later returned to Mumbai but report was received on Friday

A Mumbai resident who travelled to Vadodara in neighbouring Gujarat and tested positive for Covid-19 on March 12, was found to have the XE Omicron variant of Covid-19.

The New Delhi-based National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has also reported the incident.

The Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme of the Public Health Department of Maharashtra confirmed the development.

“A 67-year-old Mumbai resident travelled to Vadodara found to be XE variant positive and reported by NCDC, New Delhi. This person was tested for Covid-19 as he was suffering from mild fever on March 12 during his Vadodara stay,” it said.

Now the patient is totally asymptomatic and stable. He was fully vaccinated with the Covishield vaccine.

“Contact tracing of this patient is in process. XE new variant is a combination of BA.1 and BA.2 strains of Omicron and found to be responsible for enhanced viral transmission as per the primary reports. Frequent changes in genomic structure are part of the natural life course of the viruses and there is no need for fear but everyone should opt for appropriate precaution,” the statement reads.

The man had visited Vadodara due to some work and stayed at a hotel. After developing fever, he got himself tested for Covid-19 at a private lab, the result of which came positive, Medical Officer of Health, Vadodara Municipal Corporation, Devesh Patel said..

"He was found positive on March 12. His sample was sent for genome sequencing. As per the result, declared yesterday, he was found infected with a new mutant XE variant," he said.

"He had provided local address of his relatives for his sample. He had returned to Mumbai on his own soon after. No further status of the patient is known to the local authorities," Patel added.

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