Pakistan ‘detects’ new Covid variant linked to spike in China
ISLAMABAD (MNP) – A subvariant of omicron, believed to be one of the three strains driving the recent surge in Covid cases in China and other countries, has been detected in Pakistan.
The detection of the XBB strain has been confirmed by the National Health Institute and the Aghan University to media outlets after genome sequencing of samples. However, they confirmed that the South Asian country was still save from the highly infectious variant – BF.7.
NIF officials said genomic surveillance of the last batch of samples showed increased cases of the XBB variant in the country. They also said Pakistan did not face any imminent threat of a new Covid wave, adding that the situation was being monitored closely.
