Quickly spreading Covid variant XBB.1.5 found in India: report

New Delhi: Another strain of the unending serious of mutative Covid 19 currently looming over the US is found in India too, with the first case of XBB.1.5 reported on Friday.

The finding could spell trouble to health officials though early studies of the strain confirm that it is not more immune evasive than its stealthier XBB variety.

The new strain has made its way to India while China is fighting an overwhelming situation of increasing Omicron cases that have left hospitals overly strained for the past several weeks.

Initial reports of studies say that XBB is hybrid of two different Omicron BC.2 subvariant and the scientists have now confirmed the emergence of the XBB.1.5.

Though not as immune evasive as XBB, the new strain still does have a higher transmissibility, meaning it could spread faster, according to Yunlong Cao, biochemist at Peking University.

"XBB.1.5 appears faster and more sustained than any of the variants since Omicron's first wave[BA.1] last January," scientist JP Weiland reportedly said.

JP Weiland was the first scientist to report the finding of XBB.1.5 a couple of weeks ago.

It is not yet known how many of the cases being reported currently could be of this strain.

Yunlong Cao and his team found that XBB and three other strains of the virus turned out to be resistant to antibodies in the blood sample of the vaccinated people, according to a report in New York Times in October.

Since covid 19 exploded three years ago the world has seen recurring emergence of the virus causing lockdowns and widespread deaths in multiple nations.