The XBB.1.5 is the newest COVID variant that is creating havoc worldwide. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recently notified that 38 countries have reported XBB.1.5 cases, of which 82% have been reported in the US, 8% in Britain and 2% in Denmark. A new study has revealed, the variant is more likely to infect people who have been vaccinated or already had COVID-19. The XBB.1.5 strain is a relative of the Omicron XBB variant, which is a recombinant of the Omicron BA.2.10.1 and BA.2.75 subvariants. Combined, XBB and XBB.1.5 make up 44% of cases in the US. According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) the subvariant is currently spreading 12.5 percent faster than other variants in the US.

A recent study by the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene showed XBB.1.5 is the most transmissible form of COVID-19 that we know of to date and may be more likely to infect people who have been vaccinated or already had COVID-19. Further urging all to get vaccinated and boosted, it further said, “We do not know yet whether XBB.1.5 may cause more severe disease. Getting the COVID- 19 vaccine — including the updated booster — is still the best way to protect yourself from hospitalization and death from COVID-19, including from these new variants.”

Source: livemint.com