what do we know: Van Kerkhove said public health officials have detected the strain in 29 countries, but it could spread to many more countries.
White House COVID-19 response coordinator, US sub-variant sequenced from 4 percent of cases to 40 percent in a matter of weeks Ashish Jha tweeted Wednesday.
But the WHO does not yet know whether XBB.1.5 is more severe than other circulating sub-variants.
the united states is very few victims from Covid than a year ago. The death rate was almost seven times higher at this time last year, and the hospitalization rate was almost three times higher. However, both categories have been low at various points in the pandemic, and hospitalizations in New England, where XBB.1.5 is spreading rapidly, are on the rise and are at about 40 percent of last year’s levels.
Van Kerkhove said the increase in the number of hospitalizations in the Northeast cannot yet be attributed to XBB.1.5 because other respiratory illnesses, including the flu, may be partially responsible.
What will happen next: Jha warned that Americans’ immunity against XBB.1.5 “probably isn’t great” if there was a prior infection before July or if they haven’t received the bivalent shot that will be available in September.
He advised people to get their bivalent boosters, get tested before attending large gatherings or visiting the elderly or immunocompromised, and wear a high-quality mask in crowded indoor places.
Covid test and antiviral pills paxlovid and molnupiravir “should work fine based on what we know,” Jha tweeted,
Van Kerkhove said the WHO is working on an analysis of the severity of the new strain, which it will publish in the coming days.