Japanese researchers have detected a new type of the Omicron variant which is a recombination of the BA.1 and more contagious BA.2 strains of the Omicron.
The newly-found sub-variant of the Omicron is different from Omicron’s XE strain which is also a mixture of the BA.1 and BA.2. The XE was first found overseas. In Japan, the XE strain was detected at Narita Airport quarantine last month.
The new sub-variant confirmed by the National Institute of Infectious Diseases is the first discovery inside and outside Japan.
