The authorities of USA alerts were triggered following the detection of a new omicron sub-variant: xbb.1.5. Only in December 2022, it was responsible for 41% of the positive cases of COVID-19 in the US., as reported by the authorities of the North American country. What is known regarding it?
Tedros Adhanom, CEO of the World Health Organization (WHO), held a press conference on Thursday, January 5, to warn regarding this new variant, which he described as the most transmissible version of the coronavirus so far. So too, Tedros noted that as the world enters the fourth year of the pandemic, it is in a much better place thanks to advances in treatments, tests and vaccines.
Why does this variant worry WHO scientists?
The scientists of the World Health Organization (WHO) have warned regarding the increase in deaths and the spread of the subvariant in 30 countries. “We have had a 15% increase in deaths in the last month and, once more, we know that it is an underestimate due to the delays in notifications, ”said Maria Van Kerkhove, epidemiologist and WHO technical lead for COVID-19, at a conference on Wednesday, January 4.
“We expect more waves of infections around the world, though that doesn’t have to translate into more waves of death because our countermeasures are still working”added Van Kerkhove.
So too, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention of the US (CDC) estimated that xbb.1.5 caused regarding 41% of new infections in the US during the last week of December 2022.
On the other hand, the virologist at Johns Hopkins University, Andrew Pekosz, told the US radio station CNBC that “It appears that the vaccine and bivalent boost offer continued protection once morest hospitalization with these variants.”
What is known regarding the symptoms generated by xbb.1.5?
Both the WHO and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicated that the symptoms of xbb.1.5 They are very similar to their predecessors. In this sense, the common signs of the virus are:
- Tos
- Sore throat
- Nasal congestion
- Mucus
- Muscle pains
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Loss of taste and smell.
It should be noted that scientist David Heymann from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine told the BBC that there is still much to learn regarding this new variant.
