As with the old variants, vaccination is still the best way to fight the new COVID-19 subvariant, Omicron XBB.1.5, according to experts.
Quick rise: Since it was first identified in October, XBB.1.5 is the fastest-spreading subvariant in the United States, responsible for more than 40% of all cases and 75% of cases in the Northeast, according to the CDC. It’s been called the most transmissible variant.
XBB.1.5 has proven to be both adept at evading immunity, like Omicron XBB.1, while being much better at binding with our cells, scientists said.
The XBB.1.5 subvariant has been identified in 29 countries, and WHO’s COVID-19 lead Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove told reporters Wednesday it is likely to spread further.
The good news: “We do expect further waves of infection around the world, but that doesn’t have to translate into further waves of death because our countermeasures continue to work,” said Van Kerkhove.
“Current vaccines continue to protect against severe symptoms, hospitalization, and death, the experts say,” according to Reuters. And now, there are fewer deaths from COVID-19, according to CDC: 2,731 this week, compared to 9,498 a year ago. Hospitalizations are down too.
Bet on bivalence. “The new bivalent shot is your best protection against both infection and serious illness,” tweeted White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Ashish Jha. “If you had an infection before July or your last vaccine was before bivalent update in September, your protection against an XBB.1.5 infection is probably not that great.”
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