XBB.1.16, or arcturus, was the . June 15, 2023 7:14 PM EDT. "It's part of the bigger dance between our bodies and our immune system," Cannon said. Lab studies suggest that the bivalent vaccine is still effective in protecting against severe disease, though perhaps not as much against infection. This is particularly important for those in high-risk groups, but it goes for all eligible individuals. Older adults are more vulnerable, Al-Aly said, "but it doesn't mean younger people are totally shielded." The variant is a more . Is Paxlovid still effective? Because XBB.1.5 arose around Thanksgiving, were still figuring out how much transmission is a result of the seasonal activity we had anticipated and how much is being driven specifically by XBB.1.5. This variant is called "recombinant" because it was created by two Omicron subvariants merging through evolution. Both XBB and the Kraken version (XBB.1.5) are recombinant (or hybrid) virus subvariants, meaning they are made up of two strainsin this case, two offshoots of the Omicron BA.2 sublineage. According to him, from an evolutionary point of view, the disease has become more transmissible due to its jump into the airways. Unfortunately, were here to remind you that the virus is still very much alive and well. It also has impeccable timing, having emerged just as the cold weather kicked in and people gathered inside to celebrate the holidays. A consortium of academic and federal modelers recently projected that the U.S. would likely continue to see lulls in COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths during the warmer months of at least the next two years, with subsequent peaks during the fall and winter unlikely to surpass previous records. . The CDC is now tracking a new variant, EU11, which as of this past Friday is accounting for 1.7% of the cases in the United States. In previous meetings, the committee leaned toward an annual shotsimilar to the flu shotwhich would be ready before the fall respiratory disease season and would be an easy way for people to remember to get a COVID-19 vaccine. What to do if you get sick Why it's better not to get infected Could we be nearing the end of COVID? The new variant, known as EU.1.1, makes up about 1.7% of COVID cases across the nation. There are other XBB variants circulating and together make up the majority strain for COVID-19 cases in the country.Currently, there is just a spattering of cases of the EU11 variant spread across the country, but according to a database, CoV-Spectrum, the highest concentration of cases are in Utah. A washcloth. By contrast, labs in neighboring Nevada and Colorado have reported only single-digit numbers of EU.1.1 sequenced infections. It's possible that her recent infection was much milder than her husband's, for instance, because she had caught a head cold a few days earlier, while her husband hadn't. While there is more to learn about the latest variants, experts are hoping prior immunity will be of some help. The agency told vaccine makers to provide protection against just one omicron strain . Tracking Omicron and itsvariants can easily become confusingeven overwhelming, "We were really used to having our audience be public health workers and healthcare workers. As people around the world welcomed a new year, the variant continued to surge more quickly than any previous strain in many areas. Based on that, experts still recommend that people get vaccinated and boosted, particularly those in high-risk groups. COVID-19 Therapeutics Overview If you test positive . A collection of moments during and after Barack Obama's presidency. Should people who havent gotten a bivalent booster yet still get it? Omicron subvariants XBB andXBB.1.5 are spreading across many countries,including the UK. "If you are vaccinated but have not yet received the bivalent booster, you're two and a half times at increased risk of being hospitalized.". The panel voted to move away from the current bivalent vaccine, which is designed to tackle the original virus and BA.4 and BA.5 variants, to a vaccine that is better able to protect against the XBB family of variants. The half a dozen different versions of XBB viruses account for nearly all new infections in the U.S., with twoXBB.1.5 and XBB.1.16currently dominating. From the beginning, two important questions about Omicron were top of mind for scientists, says Dr. Murray. Moderna announced Thursday it had already formally completed its submission for emergency use authorization of its newly revised shots for the fall. What might we expect in terms of case rates over the next few weeks? On Saturday, Dr. Anthony Fauci said he agrees with the World Health Organization that the virus is no longer a global threat. If you want to check for updates, the CDC tracks the progress of SARS-CoV-2 variants currently circulating. That protection comes not only from antibodies against specific variants, but also from T cells that provide longer-lasting and broader protection against a larger number of virus variants. We spoke with Dr. Roberts, who answered questions about XBB.1.5. Copyright 2023 HealthDay. The study covered a period when Omicron BQ.1 and BQ.1.1. It's a good idea to do what you can to avoid getting infected, saidDr. Ziyad Al-Aly, chief of research and development at the VA St. Louis Health Care System and a clinical epidemiologist at Washington University in St. Louis. Why does it seem like its so hard for people to get? CBS News reporter covering public health and the pandemic. A highly contagious virus that causes respiratory tract inflammation with cold-like symptoms, Omicron XBB.1.5 'Kraken' Subvariant Is on the Rise: What To Know. The so-called arcturus strain of COVID-19 is responsible for about 1 in 5 new infections, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Omicron was initially identified in Botswana and South Africa in November 2021although later reports showed earlier cases in the Netherlands. I dont know that we know the seasonality of SARS-CoV-2 yet, said Pamela McInnes, former deputy director of the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences at the National Institutes of Health. Unfortunately, monoclonal antibodies no longer work. Because information about COVID-19 changes rapidly, we encourage you to visit the websites of the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), and your state and local government for the latest information. It had previously estimated as many as 40% of . The variant is a more distant descendant of the XBB.1.5 variant that had surged earlier this year, with a handful of more mutations to its spike protein that may be driving its spread. According to Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates, nearly 28% of Covid cases in the US in the first week of January were caused by XBB.1.5. The manufacturers also provided data showing that the number of mutations separating the XBB strains was very smallon the order of two or three changeswhich suggests that to the immune system, the variants essentially appear the same. This article was updated on January 9, 2023, to reflect updated CDC data. Becerra to end Covid-19 vaccine & mask mandates, LIVE: Concordia Christmas Concert Returns, Fargo Park Board terminates executive director. Want to Predict the Next Big COVID-19 Variant to Hit the U.S.? The latest is called XBB.1.5 (nicknamed Kraken, by some), and its another descendent of the Omicron variant. Even with an increase in cases, the numbers have been lower than with previous surges, and at this point, the virus has mutated to become milder, Dr. Roberts says. The newest COVID-19 variant is so contagious that even people who've avoidedit so far are getting infected and the roughly 80% of Americans who've already been infected are likely to catch it again, experts say. "Paxlovid works fine for it. In its early days, the variant caused an alarming spike in COVID-19 cases in South Africathey went from 300 a day in mid-November 2021 to 3,000 a day at the end of that month. A study in January from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) assessed the bivalent (or updated) vaccines real-world effectiveness against XBB and XBB.1.5. "If you've never been vaccinated, and there are such people, you are 17 times more at risk for hospitalization and severe disease than if you had been completely vaccinated and boosted," Schaffner related. "I'd be happy if I never got any virus again," Cannon said. What to know about XBB.1.5 symptoms and how long they last COVID-19 symptoms typically. "Given the mutations that XBB has evolved, it is not surprising that it is able to escape neutralizing antibodies and cause infections despite their presence," said Dr. Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar with the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security in Baltimore. At this time, Dr. Ayi doesnt know if a patient has come in with the variant. The CDC estimates that XBB.1.5 has more than doubled its share of the Covid-19 pie each week for the last four, rising from about 4% to 41% of new infections over the month of December. [Originally published: January 18, 2023. The strain, identified as EU11, accounts for 1.7% of cases nationwide in the United States. XBB.1 variants escape neutralizing antibodies 17 times more effectively than the BA.5 variant -- and that's if someone's gotten a booster dose of the standard mRNA vaccine, a Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center team led by renowned virologist Dr. Dan Barouch reported. 'Not something that should be majorly concerning' local medical experts react to new COVID-19 variant, Hoeven wants HHS Sec. You might have heard of an Omicron subvariant called XBB that swept through Singapore last fall. Here's what we know. Paxlovid is still working very well, particularly in high-risk populations, but its not being prescribed as frequently as it should be. In January, two studies suggested the updated vaccine has continued to be effective against emerging Omicron strains. What is its impact on the future? All rights reserved. People with COVID-19 are contagious as long as they remain positive on a rapid test, typically for about 10 days, but often longer. "There was not one virologist I know of, including myself, not one of us thought we would see anything other than Delta subvariants," Poland said. Below them is XBB.2.3, at 10.6% nationwide. FDA's decision came one day after an agency panel of outside advisers supported the recipe change. You're less likely to get infected in large indoor spaces with high ceilings and lots of ventilation than in cramped, airless ones. In the U.S., it has spread like wildfire in the New England area, where infections rose over a short period of time to almost 94% of cases as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at the beginning of February. The new report is the result of a bipartisan law that ordered intelligence agencies to release a declassified version of what they know about whether Covid might have been created inside the Wuhan . Please enter valid email address to continue. For the rest of us, whats most important to understand about this variant? XBB.1.5 is the first recombinant COVID variant expected to become dominant in the United States, according to the viral surveillance company Helix.
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