A new variant of the COVID-19 virus has been linked to a major spike in new cases worldwide and in India. 

XBB.1.16 is a descendant of the XBB.1 variant, which was first detected in the U.S. on September 15th, 2022. 

XBB is a combination of two different strains of Omicron and holds the title of the most immune-evasive variant so far.

It escapes antibody immunity, rendering useless monoclonal antibody treatments used in high-risk individuals with COVID. 

A total of 76 samples of the XBB.1.16 variant have been found across the country including states like Karnataka (30), Maharashtra (29), Puducherry (7), Delhi (5), Telangana (2), Gujarat (1), Himachal Pradesh (1) and Odisha (1). 

The XBB.1.16 variant was first found in India in January.

 From March, till now, 15 new cases have been linked to this variant as per the data by INSACOG.