Is XBB more virulent? Will it trigger a second wave of infection? The CDC responds →

XBB, a recombinant strain of the coronavirus variants BA.
2.
10.
1 and BA.
2.
75, was first detected
in India last August.
Like the previously popular BA.
5.
2 and BF.
7, it is a subtype
of the Omicron variant.
XBB can also be further subdivided into sub-strains
such as XBB.
1 and XBB.
1.
5.

Barbara Mahon, director of the CDC's Division of Coronavirus and Other Respiratory Viruses, said there was no indication that XBB.
1.
5 would cause more severe disease
than other Omicron variants.
While COVID hospitalizations have increased overall across the United States, the Northeast United States, where XBB.
1.
5 is prevalent, has not seen a disproportionate surge
in hospitalizations.
Fauci, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, also believes that although the XBB variant has brought a new wave of infections to Singapore, there has not been a proportional increase in hospitalizations
.
So does XBB pose a risk of reinfection? Studies have shown that XBBs do have the ability to escape antibodies from previous infections or vaccinations, which means some people may be reinfected
.
WHO said whether XBB's enhanced immune evasion capacity will lead to a new wave of infections depends on the region's immune context, such as the timing and size of previous Omicron infections, and vaccine coverage
.
Previous ways of preventing the spread of the new crown are still effective
for XBB.
WHO says that wearing masks, washing hands frequently, maintaining physical distance, avoiding closed or crowded places, and opening more doors and windows to ensure good ventilation are still very important and effective means of protection, regardless of
whether they have been infected with the relevant virus.
Mahon also suggested that high-risk people over 65 years old should receive a booster dose of the upgraded vaccine as soon as possible
.