New COVID variant? What is the Frankenstein COVID variant? – Deseret News

The omicron XE variant continues to spread throughout the United States as restrictions loosen and mask mandates drop off.

What to know: The XE variant was dubbed a Frankenstein variant by Forbes writer Bruce Lee because it is a recombinant variant that merges the original omicron variant with the BA.2 variant, a subvariant of the original omicron.

The new omicron XE COVID-19 variantrecently made its way to Japan after already spreading through the United Kingdom.

The bigger picture: The COVID-19 variant has hit somewhat of a lull period in the United States, even though new variants have emerged.

The change was met with both celebration and concern, per the Associated Press, showing that theres still debate over how worried people should be about the pandemic.

The bottom line: The emergence of the XE is a frank reminder that the pandemic is not over yet, according to Forbes. And that you should do what you should have been doing all along, maintaining appropriate Covid-19 precautions.

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New COVID variant? What is the Frankenstein COVID variant? - Deseret News