Post by Admin on Apr 19, 2023 3:24:58 GMT
There’s a new variant of the coronavirus that infectious disease experts and public health officials are keeping a close eye on. XBB.1.16, also known as Arcturus, is an Omicron subvariant that appears to be more transmissible and has fueled a recent surge of COVID-19 cases in India. While the variant is circulating at low levels in the U.S., health officials are closely monitoring it.
The World Health Organization warned about XBB.1.16 last month and labeled it a “variant of monitoring,” a designation that isn’t as serious as a “variant of interest.” However, that status could change if the variant shows signs of increased transmissibility or virulence, or is able to evade antibodies, the WHO noted.
XBB.1.16 has now been detected in at least 29 countries, including the U.S. and it is expanding its reach fairly quickly. In late February, XBB.1.16 accounted for only 0.21% of all COVID-19 cases worldwide. A month later, that had increased to 3.96%, according to the WHO’s latest figures.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began reporting cases of XBB.1.16 last Friday. According to the latest CDC data, the variant now accounts for 7% of new COVID-19 cases nationwide.
Here’s what to know about “Arcturus,” or XBB.1.16
What is XBB.1.16? Is it more dangerous?
XBB.1.16 is a sublineage of the Omicron variant that’s similar to XBB.1.5, the strain that has dominated infections in the U.S. since January. But XBB.1.16, the WHO noted, has a mutation in the virus’s spike protein that has been associated with increased transmissibility and potentially a higher degree of infection. However, some experts have said that while it looks like it could spread more quickly and lead to more cases, it doesn’t appear to cause more severe disease.
In India, the variant has led to a surge in COVID-19 cases in recent weeks. On Tuesday, India's Health Ministry reported 61,233 COVID-19 cases, which is a notable increase from the 15,208 cases that were reported on March 31. However, hospitalizations have not surged significantly.
The World Health Organization warned about XBB.1.16 last month and labeled it a “variant of monitoring,” a designation that isn’t as serious as a “variant of interest.” However, that status could change if the variant shows signs of increased transmissibility or virulence, or is able to evade antibodies, the WHO noted.
XBB.1.16 has now been detected in at least 29 countries, including the U.S. and it is expanding its reach fairly quickly. In late February, XBB.1.16 accounted for only 0.21% of all COVID-19 cases worldwide. A month later, that had increased to 3.96%, according to the WHO’s latest figures.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began reporting cases of XBB.1.16 last Friday. According to the latest CDC data, the variant now accounts for 7% of new COVID-19 cases nationwide.
Here’s what to know about “Arcturus,” or XBB.1.16
What is XBB.1.16? Is it more dangerous?
XBB.1.16 is a sublineage of the Omicron variant that’s similar to XBB.1.5, the strain that has dominated infections in the U.S. since January. But XBB.1.16, the WHO noted, has a mutation in the virus’s spike protein that has been associated with increased transmissibility and potentially a higher degree of infection. However, some experts have said that while it looks like it could spread more quickly and lead to more cases, it doesn’t appear to cause more severe disease.
In India, the variant has led to a surge in COVID-19 cases in recent weeks. On Tuesday, India's Health Ministry reported 61,233 COVID-19 cases, which is a notable increase from the 15,208 cases that were reported on March 31. However, hospitalizations have not surged significantly.