Very easily transmissible – New virus variant is spreading – WHO was worried

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The World Health Organization (WHO) is concerned about the new coronavirus variant XBB.1.5. The variant discovered in October is more easily transmissible than all previously known variants, WHO corona specialist Maria van Kerkhove said in Geneva on Wednesday. According to the available genetic analyzes of the virus, it mainly spreads in the US and Europe and has already been detected in 29 countries.

It is a subset of the omicron variant that has been in circulation since late 2021. A risk analysis is underway and will be published soon, van Kerkhove said. The US health agency CDC estimated earlier this year that XBB.1.5 was responsible for about 40.5 percent of all new infections in the US in the week before the turn of the year.

“In recent weeks, reports of hospitalizations and pressure on health systems have increased, especially in regions of the Northern Hemisphere, where respiratory illnesses such as influenza are also rampant,” said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

China is missing key data on the outbreak
In view of the corona wave in China, the WHO continues to press for more information from the Chinese authorities. Tedros showed understanding for countries that have introduced testing requirements for travelers from China. “We continue to urge China to provide faster, regular and reliable data on hospitalizations and deaths, as well as more comprehensive real-time virus sequencing,” Tedros said.

“Because the virus circulation in China is so high and comprehensive data is not provided, it is understandable that some countries are taking measures to protect their own citizens.” The requirement for testing is no travel restrictions, said WHO emergency response coordinator Mike Ryan.

Narrow definition for corona deaths
He criticized the narrow Chinese definition for corona death statistics. Only infected people who die from respiratory problems count. However, according to the WHO, the complications that can lead to death from Covid-19 are much more extensive. The Chinese definition is much too narrow, Ryan said. The WHO therefore assumes that the actual number of Covid 19 deaths is significantly higher.

Source: Krone

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