In the US, a significant part of the new corona infections can be traced back to the recently discovered omicron variant XBB.1.5. The US health authority CDC estimates that XBB.1.5 was behind about 40.5 percent of all new infections in the week before the turn of the year. According to the GGD, the new virus variant would be more easily transferable.
“We have been monitoring XBB.1.5 since mid-November and its frequency has doubled approximately every week,” Richard Neher, head of the research group Evolution of Viruses and Bacteria at the Biozentrum of the University of Basel, told the German Press Bureau.
The omicron variant is characterized by the mutation F486P in the so-called spike protein, a protruding protein structure of the virus envelope (red in the image below). It is the part of the virus that it uses to attach itself to human cells. The variant, one of more than 650 by now, has also been given the name “Kraken” on social networks.
No evidence of serious cures
“This mutation may improve binding to the ACE2 receptor on human cells. What this means exactly is not clear,” emphasizes Neher. He is not aware of any indications that XBB.1.5 leads to a more serious course of the disease.
Source: Krone
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