This is Kraken, the new Covid variant that comes from the United States: much more contagious

by time news

WHO is evaluating the rapid rise of the subvariant XBB.1.5 in the United States and other countries with the possibility of a possible wave of infections and reinfections to start the new year.

The XBB.1.5 subvariant is a descendant of Omicron and a close relative of the XBB variant, which spread widely in Singapore and India last fall. A December study in the journal ‘Cell’ showed that XBB better evades immune defenses obtained from vaccination and previous infection, compared to other variants. This increases the risk of reinfection, a World Health Organization group warned in October, though the good news is that XBB does not appear to cause significantly more severe disease than previous strains.

Ryan Gregory, professor of biological evolution at the University of Guelph (Ontario, Canada) has named this new subvariant ‘Kraken‘, alluding to the sea monster from Norse mythology that, emerging from the depths, attacked ships and devoured sailors very quickly. “XBB.1.5 definitely earns a nickname with its record growth advantage and very high immune escape and ACE2 binding,” the expert explains, before suggesting the aforementioned name. These are its main characteristics, which allow it to enter cells more easily and to be transmitted better.

Along with its ability to bypass immune blocks, XBB.1.5 seems to be highly transmissible, thanks to some key mutations detected as the virus evolved. These adjustments are stoking concerns about a spike in cases this winter.

During the week ending December 31, XBB.1.5 represented 40.5% of new sequenced cases of COVID-19 in the US, according to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It is currently causing approximately 75% of new cases in the Northeast, which is often a benchmark for the rest of the country.



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