icddr,b confirms new Covid variants found in Bangladesh

Staff Reporter:

Two new Omicron sub-variants, XFG and XFC, have been detected in Bangladesh, contributing to a recent rise in COVID-19 cases, the icddr,b has said.

There’s no major cause for alarm yet, but icddr,b continues to monitor the situation closely, it said in a statement.

First identified at Chattogram Medical College Hospital in April 2025, the JN.1 descendants XFG and XFC have now been detected in several regions.

In May 2025, they accounted for 7% of patients attending icddr,b’s influenza surveillance study hospitals located in Kishoregonj, Rajshahi, Cumilla, Khulna, Jashore, Sylhet, Barishal, Chattogram, and Dinajpur.