A new variant of the omicron strain of the coronavirus called XBB.1.16 contains a mutation of the XBB.1.5 subvariant that has become dominant in the United States. If the laboratory tests are also correct in the field conditions – it may be a more serious injury than what we have seen so far
Who even talks about Corona every day and who still wears a mask? But a new variant worries the medical community around the world. In recent days, the World Health Organization has announced that its experts are religiously following the spread of a sub-variant of the Omicron strain. This is the sub-strain XBB.1.16, which in recent months has caused a significant jump in infection in India, which at the peak of the Corona virus lost thousands of its citizens to the virus.
The sharpest jump was recorded a week ago on April 3 with 3,600 new infections, the highest figure in the country in six months. In fact, the new variant is the dominant one and the cause of the rate of spread in India, despite the fact that there is no significant increase in the mortality rate.
Maria Van Karakhova, who is responsible for the field of outbreaks at the World Health Organization, referred to the spread of the new strain and said “this is the sub-variant that should worry us”. According to her, if the laboratory tests are also correct in field conditions – then it is possible that it has abilities that we have not seen so far, both in the rate of infection and in itself being pathogenic for the body after infection, this is because it is based on a special mutation that may give it these properties.
As mentioned, at the moment the new mutation has probably not brought about a significant change in the global morbidity situation, and no comprehensive tests have yet been done on how dominant it is in its effect on the properties of the new subvariant XBB.1.16.