According to experts, the highly contagious subline XBB.1.5 of the corona variant Omicron could also spread in Europe in the coming weeks and months. “One can say with some prognostic certainty that the variant will also become the dominant variant for us,” warns German epidemiologist Hajo Zeeb.
XBB.1.5 has rapidly increased in frequency in the northeastern United States, dominating the infection process there since mid-December, said Richard Neher, head of the Evolution of Viruses and Bacteria research group at the University of Basel Biozentrum. Outside the northeastern United States, the variant is even less common, but its proportion is increasing.
Little information about the severity
Corona specialist Maria van Kerkhove of the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday that the subline is more easily transmissible than all previously known variants. According to Neher, there is so far little information about the severity of diseases.
Cases and hospitalizations have increased across the US, not just in regions where XBB.1.5 is prevalent, says expert Zeeb. In any case, this is a first indication that the degree of severity does not differ significantly from that of other variants of the pathogen SARS-CoV-2 currently circulating.
“XBB.1.5 addresses declining immunity of people whose vaccination or infection is long overdue,” explains Bremer expert Zeeb. “First in the US and then also here in Germany.” However, the number of XBB.1.5 records in Germany is currently still very low. “You don’t have to think about new measures yet.”
Already proven in 29 countries
The World Health Organization (WHO) was concerned on Wednesday about the new variant of the corona virus that was discovered in October. According to the available gene analyzes of the virus, it mainly spreads in the US and Europe and has already been detected in 29 countries.
Source: Krone
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