Original title:
Science popularization: is the new crown mutant Omikron XBB more dangerous
Recently, the infection cases caused by the new coronal variant strain of Omikron subtype XBB are on the rise in some countries. Is the transmission of XBB different from that of other variant strains of Omikron? Will it cause a certain degree of repeated infection? How should people protect themselves?
XBB is a recombinant strain of the new coronal variant strains BA.2.10.1 and BA.2.75, which was first found in India last August. Like BA. 5.2 and BF. 7 which were popular before, it is a subtype of the variant Omikron virus. XBB can also be further subdivided into XBB. 1, XBB. 1.5 and other sub strains.
According to the data from the Global Influenza Shared Database (GISAID), XBB. 1.5 has been detected in at least 74 countries and regions around the world by December 31, 2022. The XBB mutant strain has caused a new round of infection in India, Singapore and other Asian countries in October 2022.
According to the latest data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of December 31, 2022, 40% of the newly confirmed coronal disease cases in the US were infected with XBB. 1.5, up from 20% the previous week. In the northeast of the country, about 75% of the confirmed cases were infected with XBB. 1.5.
The information provided by the World Health Organization shows that the symptoms of infection with XBB are similar to those of infection with other new coronavirus strains. At present, there is no difference in disease severity after infection with XBB. Some online rumors say that XBB will affect the heart and brain vessels and cause diarrhea, which actually exaggerates the pathogenicity of XBB.
Barbara Mahon, director of the CDC's New Crown and Other Respiratory Viruses Department, also said that there was no evidence that XBB. 1.5 would cause more serious diseases than other Omicron variants. Although the overall hospitalization rate of the new crown throughout the United States has increased, the hospitalization rate in the Northeast of the United States, where XBB. 1.5 prevails, has not seen a disproportionate surge. Fauci, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the United States, also believed that although the XBB mutant strain had brought a new wave of infection to Singapore, there was no increase in the number of hospitalized cases in the same proportion.
Does XBB bring the risk of repeated infection? Research shows that XBB really has the ability to escape antibodies produced by previous infection or vaccination, which means that some people may be repeatedly infected.
WHO said that whether the enhanced immune escape ability of XBB will lead to a new round of infection depends on the immune background of the region, such as the time and scale of the past infection of the Omicron virus strain, and vaccine coverage.
The way to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the past is still effective for XBB. WHO said that no matter whether you have been infected with the relevant virus or not, wearing masks, washing hands frequently, keeping physical distance, avoiding closed or crowded places, and opening more doors and windows to ensure good ventilation are still very important and effective means of protection. Mahong also suggested that high-risk people over 65 years old should be vaccinated with the upgraded booster vaccine as soon as possible.
