Omicron sub-variant XBB.1.5 accounts for 43 per cent of US Covid-19 cases: CDC
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WHO said this week that XBB.1.5 may spur more Covid-19 cases based on genetic characteristics and early growth rate estimates.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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WASHINGTON - The fast-spreading Omicron sub-variant XBB.1.5 has been estimated to account for 43 per cent of the Covid-19 cases in the United States for the week ended Jan 14, data from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed on Friday.
The sub-variant accounted for about 30 per cent of cases in the first week of January, higher than the 27.6 per cent the CDC estimated last week.
XBB.1.5, which is related to Omicron, is currently the most transmissible variant.
It is an offshoot of XBB, first detected in October, which is itself made from a combination of two other Omicron sub-variants.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) said earlier this week that XBB.1.5 may spur more Covid-19 cases based on genetic characteristics and early growth rate estimates.
While it is unclear if XBB.1.5 can cause its own wave of global infections, experts say current booster shots continue to protect against severe symptoms, hospitalisation and death.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus tweeted last week the sub-variant has been on the rise globally and has been identified in over 25 countries.
The rise in the new variant correlated with an uptick in Covid-19 cases in the United States over the last six weeks.
Increased prevalence of XBB.1.5 cases has eclipsed the previously dominant Omicron sub-variants BQ.1.1 and BQ.1, which were offshoots of BA.5.
The two strains together accounted for 44.7 per cent of cases in the United States in the week ended Jan 14, compared with 53.2 per cent a week ago, the CDC said. REUTERS
