By Tabitha Mueller
A new strain of the coronavirus virus, XBB.1.5, is quickly becoming the dominant subvariant in the United States.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that as of Jan. 7, XBB.1.5 accounted for more than a quarter of COVID-19 infections across the country and 70 percent of cases in the Northeast.
Officials with the World Health Organization (WHO) dubbed it “the most transmissible subvariant that has been detected yet.” They said there is not yet any data on the severity of the latest variant, which mutated amid a ‘tripledemic’ consisting of the flu, RSV and COVID-19.
“Our concern is how transmissible it is,” said WHO Technical Lead Maria Van Kerhove during a news conference Jan. 4. “The more this virus circulates, the more opportunities it will have to change.”
So far, symptoms of the XBB.1.5 variant are similar to earlier Omicron variants, including cold symptoms, shortness of breath and low oxygen levels. But as it spreads, symptoms may shift, said Dr. Andrea Garcia, the vice president of science, medicine & public health at the American Medical Association, in a question and answer published by the association.
“XBB1.5 has gone from 1% to nearly 28% of COVID cases here in the U.S. pretty quickly. Scientists are reporting that it appears to bind more tightly to cells in the human body than the predecessors,” Garcia said. “It also seems to be more resistant than earlier variants to immune system antibodies. So we’re likely going to continue to see that increase in cases.”
She and other health officials have emphasized getting vaccinated and staying up to date on COVID-19 boosters remain the best ways to protect against serious illness, hospitalization and death.
A recent study from Israel showed the bivalent booster significantly reduces hospitalization and mortality rates among older populations. According to the study, which hasn’t been peer-reviewed, there was an 81 percent reduction in hospitalizations and an 86 percent reduction in deaths among people 65 and older who had received the latest bivalent booster compared with those who’d received two doses of a COVID vaccine but not the updated booster dose.
“The evidence from high quality studies is clear,” White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha tweeted Tuesday. “The bivalent vaccine is far superior to the original vaccine against circulating variants.”
In a January Twitter thread, Jha said the key to managing the virus lies in updated vaccinations, improving indoor ventilation and filtration systems, testing before gatherings and wearing a high-quality mask in indoor spaces.
“So am I concerned about XBB.1.5? Yes. Am I worried this represents some huge setback? No,” Jha tweeted. “We can work together to manage the virus and if we all do our part we can reduce the impact it will have on our lives.”
