COVID-19 Surge in India is Driven by Multiple Variants Including XFG, XFP, and NB.1.8.1 With XFP Driving Disease Severity!
Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Jun 11, 2025 3 weeks, 6 days, 9 hours, 13 minutes ago
A Resurgent Crisis
Contrary to misleading news reports by Indian media, the current COVID-19 surge is not driven by purely the XFG variant but rather by multiple variants including XFP, NB.1.8.1, PC2, PQ.2, JN.1 etc. But preliminary emerging data is indicating that the XFP variant which emerged in India is unique and seems to be driving disease severity with many infected developing hypoxia and ARDS.
COVID-19 Surge in India is Driven by Multiple Variants Including XFG, XFP, and NB.1.8.1 With XFP Driving Disease Severity!
India is grappling with a renewed wave of COVID-19 infections which is expected to turn into a serious crisis soon despite attempts to downplay and conceal the true magnitude of the situation. As of June 11, 2025, with active cases soaring to 6,815, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW). The surge, driven by multiple Omicron subvariants has raised alarm due to increasing hospitalizations, ICU admissions, and deaths.
Unlike previous recent waves aside from the Delta surge, the XFP variant is emerging as a significant driver of disease severity, with reports of hypoxia and other complications affecting not only the elderly and those with comorbidities but also young healthy adults. The Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) is intensifying surveillance to track these variants, as health authorities urge vigilance amid a rapidly evolving situation.
XFP Variant and Rising Severity
This
Medical News report highlights the concerning role of the XFP variant, a newly identified sub-lineage of Omicron, in India’s current COVID-19 wave. While XFG, with 163 cases reported across states like Maharashtra (89 cases), Tamil Nadu, and Kerala, and NB.1.8.1, detected in Tamil Nadu and Gujarat, are contributing to the rise in infections, XFP is increasingly linked to severe outcomes.
XFP is actually a recombinant of LF.7 and LS.2. variants.
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/a-novel-sars-cov-2-recombinant-variant-lf-7-plus-ls-2-is-behind-a-new-covid-19-wave-in-india-that-officials-are-hiding
https://github.com/sars-cov-2-variants/lineage-proposals/issues/2607
Preliminary data indicates that the XFP variant exhibits enhanced immune evasion and spike protein mutations that may increase its ability to cause severe respiratory distress, including hypoxia—a condition where oxygen levels in the blood drop dangerously low. INSACOG data suggests XFP cases are rising, particularly in southern and western India, with patients requiring oxygen support and ICU care at higher rates than with other variants.
Case and Death Toll Updates
As of June 11, 2025, India recorded 6,815 active cases, with 769 new infections reported in the
last 48 hours, per MoHFW data.
https://covid19dashboard.mohfw.gov.in/
So far about 68 COVID-19 deaths have been reported across states including Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Gujarat, and Delhi. Kerala remains the hardest-hit state with 1,957 active cases, followed by Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Gujarat. Tragically, fatalities include a 5-month-old infant and an 87-year-old in Delhi, alongside a 71-year-old male who succumbed to pneumonia, septic shock, and acute kidney injury and even a 16-year old teenager. The rising death toll and ICU admissions underscore the severity of this wave, with hospitals reporting a three- to four-fold increase in outpatient visits over the past ten days.
Many doctors are skeptical and say the actual figures for current COVID-19 infections and COVID-19 deaths could be as high as eight-fold! The Indian government and health officials have a history of lying and concealing actual COVID-19 statistics as have been proven and seen in past surges.
Young Adults at Risk
A disturbing trend in this surge is the impact on young adults, previously considered less vulnerable. Unlike earlier waves where fatalities were predominantly among the elderly or those with comorbidities, young adults are now experiencing severe illness and mortality. Health experts note that XFP’s ability to cause hypoxia is particularly pronounced in this demographic, leading to rapid deterioration in some cases.
In response, India is ramping up genome sequencing and testing, with mandatory COVID-19 tests for symptomatic individuals in Kerala and increased surveillance for Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI). The MoHFW advises mask-wearing, hand hygiene, and other measures.
Looking Ahead
India’s healthcare system faces mounting pressure as ICU admissions and oxygen demand rise. Experts emphasize that while community immunity from prior infections mitigates some risks, XFP’s severity warrants caution. “We must protect vulnerable groups and monitor XFP closely,” they urged. With no evidence yet of XFP being labeled a Variant of Concern, the focus remains on early detection and robust public health measures to curb this wave’s impact.
For the latest on the COVID-19 situation in India, keep on logging to Thailand
Medical News.
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https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/who-foresees-that-the-current-covid-19-global-surge-will-likely-be-prolonged-with-many-new-variants-emerging
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