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NEW DELHI: Emergence of the new XFG variant of the virus that causes COVID-19 is part of SARS-CoV-2’s natural evolution, said Dr Balram Bhargava, former Director General of the Indian Council for Medical Research, amidst India recording over 200 cases linked to the variant.
Dr Bhargava was part of the team at the forefront of managing the country’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The emergence of the XFG variant is part of the SARS-CoV-2 virus’s natural evolution,” he said.
His statement comes as India’s active COVID-19 cases crossed 7,000 as of June 11, with over 300 added in the last 24 hours and six deaths recorded in the same period, data from the Union Health Ministry shows.
According to the latest data from the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG), 206 cases have been linked to XFG variant, with the highest count of 89 infections coming from Maharashtra, followed by West Bengal reporting 49.
Dr Bhargava said the XFG variant of SARS-CoV-2 (which causes COVID-19) carries mutations which may improve its ability of binding to human cells and bypassing immune defences.
“Early reports suggest that the variant has high immune escape potential, but there is no current evidence to indicate (an) increased severity (of disease),” he said.
Other states reporting infections due to the XFG variant are Kerala (15), Tamil Nadu (16), Gujarat (11), Madhya Pradesh (6), Andhra Pradesh (6), Odisha (4), Puducherry (3), Delhi (2), Rajasthan (2), and Punjab, Telangana and Haryana (one each).
However, similar to how the virus adapts, so has India’s diagnostic infrastructure since the first wave of the pandemic, and the RT-PCR test, or ‘reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction’ — which detects the genetic material of SARS-CoV-2 in samples — remains its cornerstone, the cardiologist said.
He added that the widespread deployment of platforms such as Truenat — a rapid molecular diagnostic test that uses RT-PCR technology for diagnosis — puts India in a strong position to detect and contain emerging variants swiftly, even in remote and resource-limited settings.
Point-of-care testing, which detects antibodies in blood, played a crucial role during the pandemic then, and it continues to be a frontline tool for detecting emerging variants, such as XFG, Dr Bhargava said.
“Vigilance is critical now, and not panic. As we have done in the past, we should continue testing when symptomatic, masking in crowded spaces, and staying up to date with vaccinations”, he said.
India has seen 74 deaths in the current surge in COVID-19 cases, which started January this year. Kerala continues to be the most affected with over 2,200 cases, followed by Gujarat (1223) and Delhi (757).
Official sources have said that most cases are mild and can be managed under home care, even as all states have been instructed to ensure availability of oxygen, isolation beds, ventilators, and essential medicines, amidst rising cases of COVID-19.
INSACOG data also shows that 21 of the newly emerging cases are linked to the LF.7 variant — Maharashtra and Gujarat reporting the highest with six cases each — and two to the NB.1.8.1 variant — one each in Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.(Agencies)
