Scientists warned that a ‘highly contagious’ variant of Kovid-19 has emerged.
The variant, designated XBB.1.5, was noted to have mutations that help it evade protection against vaccination and previous infections. XBB.1.5 soon became the dominant variant in the US and Europe.
Scientists warned that a new variant called XBB.1.5 infects more easily than previous strains of Kovid-19 and can evade protection against previous infections with vaccination.
Experts stated that the emergence of the variant could put pressure on health systems around the world, and asked people not to go out as much as possible.
However, officials cautioned that there is no indication yet that the strain causes more serious disease than previous variants.
1.5 has gained mutations, including F486P, which helps it bypass Covid-19-fighting antibodies produced in response to vaccination or previous infection. It was observed that 4 percent of the cases in the week until the week of 17 December in the UK were caused by XBB.1.5.
However, it was stated that XBB.1.5 is a mutated version of Omicron XBB, which was first detected in India in August.
XBB, a combination of variants BJ.1 and BA.2.75, has caused cases to quadruple in some countries in just one month.
Warning from WHO
XBB.1.5, which has already become the most dominant variant in the USA and Europe, is the fastest spreading among other variants.
Maria Van Kerkhove, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Kovid-19 technical leader, said global health officials are concerned about the rapid spread of the variant in the northeastern United States.
“This is the most infectious subvariant ever detected,” Kerkhove said. “This is because of mutations that allow this virus to attach to the cell and multiply easily.”
Van Kerkhove said that the variant has been detected in 29 countries so far, but it may be even more common, and it is becoming more difficult to follow Kovid-19 variants as genome sequencing decreases worldwide.
Threat to the elderly
Professor Lawrence Young, a virologist at the University of Warwick, said: “The XBB.1.5 variant is highly contagious and fuels increased hospitalizations in New York, particularly among the elderly. “Decreased immunity, being indoors more due to cold weather, and the lack of other mitigating measures such as wearing face masks are also contributing to this increase in infections in the United States.”
“We don’t know how this variant will behave in the 50s population who have previously been exposed to other Omicron variants in the UK. The threat of XBB.1.5 and other Covid-19 variants highlights that we need to stay vigilant,” Young said.
According to outbreak.info, which uses data from the database GISAID, which provides open access to genomic data of influenza viruses and Kovid-19, XBB.1.5 has been detected in at least 74 countries and 43 US states. These countries include Turkey, England, China, India, Pakistan, Indonesia and Australia.