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Wisconsin — A new COVID-19 variant is starting to emerge in the US and has already reached Wisconsin.
A subvariant, XBB.1.5, is still under investigation, but medical leaders already understand certain aspects of it.
Here’s what we know about XBB.1.5 so far:
What is XBB.1.5?
The XBB.1.5 variant is a variant of the omicron variant.
Omicron spreads more easily than other coronavirus variants, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. According to the CDC, anyone with an Omicron variant can infect others, regardless of symptoms or vaccination status. The CDC also says Omicron can reinfect people who have recovered from her COVID-19. The CDC has designated omicron as a “variant of concern” in the United States.
XBB.1.5 is the “most susceptible subvariant”. [of omicron] It hasn’t been detected yet,” said Maria van Kerhove, a senior epidemiologist at the World Health Organization. She explained that XBB.1.5 has mutations that make it “easily replicated.”
“Our concern is how contagious it is,” Van Kerhoef said. “The more this virus spreads, the more opportunities we have to change it.”
Van Kerkhove also says XBB.1.5 is better at evading immunity than its subvariant peers. It is unknown whether XBB.1.5 is more dangerous than other coronavirus strains.
Will there be a spike in COVID-19 infections with XBB.1.5?
Van Kerkhove said the WHO expects further waves of COVID-19 infections around the world, noting that XBB.1.5 in particular “has a higher growth rate than all other variants so far.” There are advantages,” he said.
However, she said it didn’t require an increase in deaths.
The WHO said it plans to publish a risk assessment of the variant within the next few days. We are also investigating the severity of the variant.
Where are the variants located in the US?
XBB.1.5 has been detected nationwide. The week of December 25-31 accounted for more than 40% of coronavirus cases in the United States
In the northeastern United States, WHO estimates that more than 75% of coronavirus cases between December 25 and 30 were XBB.1.5. .
During the same period, WHO estimated that XBB.1.5 accounted for 6% of coronavirus cases across the Midwest.
How prevalent is XBB.1.5 in Wisconsin?
The Wisconsin State Institute of Health tracks variants through sample testing. During the week of September 26, 2022, he was reported to have XBB.1.5 present in the state. 5 and December 12, respectively.
The Wisconsin State Institute of Health noted that the variant could have been in Wisconsin even earlier, because testing samples takes time. On average, it takes him two to three weeks from when the sample is collected until the data are available.
This also means there could be more XBB.1.5 cases in Wisconsin, as the lab has only tested a small fraction of the samples compared to the state’s overall COVID-19 cases.
XBB.1.5 has been identified by Polk Co., Winnebago Co., Dane Co., Waukesha Co., and Milwaukee Co.
The main Wisconsin subspecies appears to be another Omicron subspecies, BA.5.
How can I protect myself from XBB.1.5?
Health officials are urging people to get the latest COVID-19 bivalent booster for optimal protection against all Omicron subspecies.
According to the CDC, 15.1% of people over the age of 5 have the latest booster in the US. In Wisconsin, that number is slightly higher at 18.3% of her, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health.
In addition to staying up to date on the COVID-19 vaccine, the White House encouraged people to test for COVID-19 before meeting large gatherings or people with increased vulnerabilities. According to the White House, COVID-19 testing was able to accurately detect XBB.1.5 as a COVID-19 positive case.
The White House said paxlobide and mornupiravir, oral treatments for COVID-19, should also help fight XBB.1.5, based on available data.
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