The CDC’s newest Covid-19 dashboard reveals omicron offshoot XBB1.5 may soon cause a spike in cases in the US. Read to know more.
What is the XBB1.5 Omicron offshoot?
On Friday, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s Covid-19 mutant dashboard revealed the presence of a new contender. As per the health authority, XBB1.5 cases increased from four percent to 41 percent in December 2022. As per their calculations, it is responsible for about 75 percent of new infections coming up in the Northeastern US. “For a few months now, we haven’t seen a variant that’s taken off at that speed,” stated Pavitra Roychoudhury. Roychoudhury is the director of Covid-19 sequencing at the virology lab at the University of Washington School of Medicine.
As per epidemiologists and virologists, this omicron sublineage may lead to a new coronavirus wave in the US. However, its severity is currently unknown. The sublineage emerged in the US despite recent worries that a new threat may come from the rise in cases in China. As per GISAID, the sublineage was initially discovered in Connecticut and New York in October 2022. GISAID is the global initiative to catalog and track coronavirus variations.
More on the new developments
In addition to being highly immune evasive, the XBB.1.5 strain has a key mutation in site 486. This mutation is helping fuel its growth by allowing it to bight tightly to ACE2. This also allows the virus to enter our cells. As per experts’ opinions, XBB1.5 has the potential of spreading the virus, but it may not be highly serious. Unfortunately, people in the US have been dismissive of booster doses. As per the CDC, only 15 percent of all eligible Americans received the updated booster. This means, only one in three over the age of 65 have a booster shot. Moreover, antivirals such as Paxlovid and remdesivir will be useful. But, antibody therapies may not be as effective against the XBB1.5.