As per experts, the new COVID variant XBB.1.16 is a cause of concern for the sudden surge in the number of cases.

Vipin M Vashishtha, former convenor of Indian Academy of Pediatrics and consultant pediatrician at the Mangla Hospital and Research Centre, Bijnor, tweeted, “XBB.1.16 has a 140% growth advantage over XBB.1.5,” adding, “It is far more aggressive than XBB.1.5. And probably faster than XBB.1.9.”