Another new sub-variant of the coronavirus is here: XBB.1.5, which was originally reported in the United States and is rapidly spreading around the world. By the end of December, it was responsible for 41% of the positive cases of COVID-19 in that country.
“In early December, about 2% of cases in the US resulted from infection with this variant. Now, in early January, it’s probably going to be over 50%. That’s an amazing growth rate,” he told DW Paul Hunter, an epidemiologist at the University of East Anglia (Great Britain).
Infections by this variant have also been reported outside the United States. Cases have been identified in European countries such as the United Kingdom, Germany and France, and in Asia in countries such as India and Singapore. “XBB.1.5 will likely become the dominant variant in Europe, maybe even by the end of January. But we will be able to control it, there’s no doubt about that,” Hunter said.
It’s easier to transfer
XBB.1.5 is a subvariant of omicron, the currently dominant coronavirus variant worldwide. XBB.1.5 is a “recombinant” subvariant of omicron, meaning it contains genetic material from different coronavirus subvariants.
“It has evolved since we discovered XBB.1.5 a few months ago. XBB.1.5 has evolved escape mutations, meaning the virus is better at evading immunity,” explains Hunter.
The mask remains a useful tool against the spread of the virus
The specialist assures that the virus caused by this sub-variant is still neutralized by immune cells, but they do not recognize it either. “The immune system takes longer to decide which antibodies to produce to prevent the XBB.1.5 virus particles from multiplying. This is important because the severity of the disease depends on the amount of virus circulating in the body,” he says.
With a slower immune response, XBB.1.5 has more time to reproduce, increasing the chance of developing COVID-19 symptoms.
Is XBB.1.5 more dangerous?
Early evidence in the United States indicates that XBB.1.5 is no more deadly than other omicron subvariants. According to Paul Hunter, people with this subvariant do not show more severe symptoms of COVID-19. However, experts are concerned that the rapid spread of XBB.1.5 will skyrocket the number of people with severe symptoms similar to other omicron subvariants simply from the sheer weight of the exponentially multiplying infections.
By the end of December XBB.1.5. it has already been responsible for 41% of COVID-19 infections in the United States. It is estimated that it would exceed 50% in the first week of January.
According to Michael Head, an epidemiologist at the University of Southampton, UK, the spread of the new subvariant comes at a bad time for public health. “This winter has already seen high circulation rates of most respiratory viruses, including COVID-19 and influenza. This means there will be consequences in other healthcare areas, such as planned surgeries that end up being postponed because of today’s healthcare needs,” Head said.
Vaccines effective against XBB.1.5
“Vaccines still give us the same protection against serious COVID disease if we contract XBB.1.5. However, we may be a little less protected from the transmission of XBB.1.5,” says Hunter.
According to experts, COVID-19 is here to stay, which means subvariants like this will likely continue to emerge.
“In order to minimize the impact of the virus as a public health problem, it is crucial that vaccination is high. But in the long term we really need a ‘second generation’ vaccine that protects against infection and disease from all coronavirus variants,” Head has stated.