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New Delhi. Amid the recent spurt in the number of coronavirus cases in the country, medical experts have warned that the new XBB1.16 variant is capable of evading people’s immune system and the coming four weeks are crucial. XBB1.16 is an infectious variant of the omicron form of the corona virus.
Dr. Dhiren Gupta, senior pediatrician at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, said, “The XBB 1.16 variant is the biggest reason for the increase in corona cases among children and adults. This variant has the ability to trick the immune system. It is infecting people who had Covid infection during the previous waves. The XBB 1.16 variant is also targeting adolescents and adults who have been vaccinated.
He said, ‘There is a possibility of this variant spreading. Infections like Adenovirus and Influenza seem to be more troublesome than Covid. The next four weeks are going to be crucial. Dr Dhiren also said that the XBB 1.16 variant is considered highly contagious and more lethal than the previous strain of the virus.
He said, “There has been a significant increase in the number of Covid cases in India during the last few weeks, which has been attributed to a new variant of Omicron, XBB 1.16. The number of cases in children below the age of 12 years is also increasing rapidly. According to data from the Indian SARS Cove-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG), 1,774 cases of the XBB1.16 variant have been found in 22 states and union territories.
Pediatrician at Madhukar Rainbow Children’s Hospital Dr. Of. Nakra said that in some cases of Kovid positive, problems related to the eyes have also come to the fore. He told, ‘High fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, headache and body ache are the symptoms of Kovid-19. Red sticky eyes have also been reported by some doctors. However, it was also seen in the earlier strains in about 1-3 percent of Covid patients. However, it is too early to say that this red eye is more common with the XBB 1.16 variant.
