IPOH, April 5 — The new Omicron XE variant of the Covid-19 virus, whose existence was confirmed by the World Health Organisation (WHO), is not a concern yet in Malaysia, said Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

Khairy said the Omicron XE variant had only been reported in neighbouring Thailand, with no cases detected here to date.

"We are following the updates on the new variant. We also do not know its characteristics yet,” he said at a press conference after visiting Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun (HRPB) here.

Khairy also said that two things must be observed to determine possible threats posed by the new variant.

"We need to know its infectivity rate and severity. We need to observe other countries as to how high either one is.

"Only then can we take the necessary measures. But at the moment, we are sticking to our current Covid-19 strategy,” he said.

WHO said the Omicron XE variant, which was first detected in the United Kingdom, could be 10 per cent more transmissible than the BA.2 sub-variant of Omicron.

Omicron XE is a recombinant of Omicron BA.1 and BA.2, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).