India's first case of the XE variant of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) was reported in Mumbai on Wednesday.<br />''<br />''Results of the 11th genome sequencing declared by the city civic body Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC,)  found one sample positive for XE variant and another for Kappa variant.<br />''<br />''The individual who tested positive for the XE variant was a fully vaccinated 50-year-old women with no co-morbidity and asymptomatic, BMC officials said. She had come from South Africa on 10th February  and had no prior travel history. On arrival, she had tested negative for the virus.<br />''<br />''The World Health Organisation (WHO) had said the new subvariant – 'XE' – a hybrid strain of two Omicron sub variants, could be the most transmissible coronavirus strain so far.<br />''<br />''According to the global health body, early studies indicated the variant had a growth rate advantage of 10 per cent as compared to BA.2, one of the very contagious variants.<br />