http://www.newsweek.com/new-covid-variant-xe-omicron-recombinant-explained-ba-2-1695079 > A hybrid COVID variant known as XE has sparked headlines over the past week, but experts have warned people not to get unduly concerned—and the variant isn't even particularly new. > XE is known as a recombinant, meaning it is essentially a mixture of two different viruses or variants with characteristics of both. Specifically, XE is a mixture of the two Omicron variant sub-types BA.1 and BA.2.