The subvariant XBB.1.5 of the omikron variant of the coronavirus will become dominant in Europe within one to two months. This is expected by the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). The subvariant is currently spreading rapidly in the United States.
XBB.1.5 surfaced in October in the US. It is a highly contagious subvariant that is currently spreading 12 percent faster in the country than other variants and currently accounts for almost a third of all infections.
In the last two weeks of 2022, 2.5 percent of corona infections in Europe were due to the new subvariant. ECDC mathematical models predict that XBB.1.5 could be dominant in one to two months.
For the time being, there is no indication that infections with the new subvariant are more serious than with other variants of omikron. The ECDC therefore estimates the risk to the general population as low. “The risk is medium to high for vulnerable individuals, such as the elderly, unvaccinated people and people with compromised immunity,” the agency says.
ECDC emphasizes that these are estimates based on the available information and that there are still “several knowledge gaps”.
All together, 38 countries have already reported infections with XBB.1.5, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Wednesday. The majority of cases can be found in the US (82 percent), followed by the United Kingdom (8 percent) and Denmark (2 percent).
XBB.1.5 surfaced in October in the US. It is a highly contagious subvariant that is currently spreading 12 percent faster in the country than other variants and currently accounts for almost a third of all infections. In the last two weeks of 2022, 2.5 percent of corona infections in Europe were due to the new subvariant. ECDC’s mathematical models predict that XBB.1.5 could be dominant in one to two months. For the time being, there is no indication that infections with the new subvariant are more serious than with other variants of omikron. The ECDC therefore estimates the risk to the general population as low. “The risk is medium to high for vulnerable individuals, such as the elderly, unvaccinated people and people with compromised immunity,” the agency says. ECDC emphasizes that these are estimates based on the available information and that “several knowledge gaps”. All together, 38 countries have already reported infections with XBB.1.5, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Wednesday. The majority of cases can be found in the US (82 percent), followed by the United Kingdom (8 percent) and Denmark (2 percent).