The Sars-CoV-2 virus variant was first isolated and sequenced in Italy, Xf, a kind of fusion between delta and the Omicron. The discovery, predicted by the Bolognese version of Repubblica and confirmed in healthcare settings, was made in the laboratory of Pievesestina in Cesena, under the supervision of microbiologist Vittorio Sandri. The positive swab was from a critically ill patient, who had contracted Covid two months earlier and then died. “But not for the Xf variant – Sandri identifies for Repubblica – this has to be said very clearly.” This variant is already prevalent in England where there are about 100 cases.
Omicron, 6 unusual symptoms of the virus: from “Covid fingers” to heart palpitations, problems with voice and hearing and hair loss. What do we know
symptoms
Any assessment of the characteristics of this new variant is premature: in the laboratory they are continuing the study to try to understand the similarities and differences with already known variants, risk, infection, and resistance to vaccines and treatments. The birth of variants (we are now trying to identify Xe, a mutation in Omicron that was more contagious than the first studies) according to Sandri is normal. “The number of cases is high – he continues – the virus mutates in an important way and reproduces: the appearance of mutations that can lead to variants is normal. The problem is to understand which ones and how many will appear and what they could mean.”
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