The World Health Organization (WHO) recently declared the newest Omicron subvariant, XBB.1.5, as the most transmissible strain of COVID ever discovered, although it does not appear to make individuals worse. Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that it accounts for 41% of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the US.
Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO's COVID-19 technical head, warned that the number of patients infected with XBB.1.5 in the United States is doubling every two weeks. "It is the most transmissible subvariant that has been detected yet," she said during the press conference on Wednesday, January 4.
Why Is XBB.1.5 the Most Transmissible COVID-19 Variant Yet?
In previous years, the post-holiday increase in COVID-19 cases has been linked to big parties and colder weather driving individuals indoors. Experts say it's unclear how much XBB.1.5 is to blame for the current increase in hospitalizations.
Dr. John Brownstein, an ABC News contributor and chief innovation officer at Boston Children's Hospital, told ABC News that they do not have the full data yet as to what the variant is doing in the population since emerging new variants do not happen in a bubble and it is difficult to see what might be driving the increase of hospitalizations and such.
But during the press conference, Van Kerkhove said that the reason for the high transmissibility of XBB.1.5 is because of the mutations within the subvariant that allow the virus to bind to cells and replicate.
Experts said that XBB.1.5 is just as skilled at dodging antibodies both acquired from infection and vaccines as subvariant XBB and XBB.1. Due to that, it binds more tightly to cells and gives it the advantage to grow.
Currently, 29 countries have detected Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 and experts predict that it could become more widespread. Van Kerkhove warned that the virus will have more opportunity to change the more it circulates.
They are expecting further waves of infection around the world, although noted that it does not necessarily translates to further waves of death due to the countermeasures in place. More so, they are unsure whether it causes more severe illness or leads to more adverse outcomes.
China Continues To Battle COVID-19 Surge
Researchers are still studying the virus and see how vaccines will hold up against XBB.1.5. But if the US is battling this new Omicron subvariant, China is also facing its own national surge of cases.
According to New York Post, Chinese hospitals and funeral homes have become inundated after the Chinese government reversed its draconian "zero-COVID" policy last month.
Graphic images shared online shows families in China creating the bodies of their loved ones in the streets because of the increasing spread of COVID-19, which made it impossible for many to hold traditional funeral services.
Due to that and the current surge of cases in the US brought by Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5, the US and other countries are requiring travelers from China to test negative for coronavirus before flying into their countries. Global health officials, not just the US, said that Beijing has not been forthcoming enough with information about their country's current spike in infections.
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