• Several recombinant lineages of SARS-CoV-2 have emerged during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • First detected in SARS-CoV-2 sequences from India, the XBB.1.16 is a recombinant lineage of the virus and is a descendent of the XBB lineage.
  • The fast-spreading XBB.1.16 lineage is believed to be responsible for the recent spike in COVID-19 cases in India.