The Covid19 pandemic has sadly affected millions of people, but nowadays, in a more peaceful scenario, the world is expected to be more healthy. However, new variants are still popping up and people are concerned again.
It is the case new variant, called XBB.1.5. There are no reports of this in Brazil yet, but two more sublineages of omicron were discovered in November last year: XBB.1 and CK.2.1.1.
Watch out for this new variant and continue to exercise caution
XBB.1.5 is an offshoot of the currently dominant variant omicron. People who were already infected with it had symptoms similar to a cold.
According to research, XBB.1.5 evolved from XBB, which was circulated in the UK in September 2022.
Wendy Barclay, a professor at Imperial College London, reported that XBB.1.5 has a mutation known as F486P that restores the ability to bind to cells. However, it can also negatively affect the immune system, which is why it can spread more easily.
She also says the virus evolved and eventually found other ways to bypass the body’s defense mechanisms.
For example, in the United States, more than 40% of cases are XBB.1.5 and therefore this variant has already become the dominant one in the country, surpassing previous omicron mutations. Hospitals have already started accepting more XBB.1.5 victims and the government has resumed free testing programs.
In the UK the scenario is different. According to Professor Barclay, there is no evidence that XBB.1.5 will overcome the protection against severe forms of the disease that vaccines offer.
For Professor David Heymann, it will be difficult for the subvariant to cause big problems in countries with high vaccination rates. However, the case is already more worrying in countries like China, where vaccine uptake and natural immunity are low.