Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 accounts for 43% of US Covid cases: Health body

The Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 is estimated to account for 43% of the Covid cases in the United States for the week ending January 14, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed.

The fast-spreading subvariant accounted for about 30% of cases in the first week of January which was higher than the 27.6% estimated last week.

The variant which is considered the most transmissible yet is an offshoot of XBB which was first detected in October. The XBB 1.5 subvariant is made from a combination of two other Omicron subvariants.

The data also implies that owing to the increased prevalence of XBB.1.5, the subvariant has eclipsed the previously dominant Omicron subvariant BQ.1.1 and BQ.1, which were offshoots of BA.5.

The two strains together accounted for 44.7% of cases in the United States in the week ended January 14, compared with 53.2% a week ago, the CDC said.

Earlier this week, the World Health Organization (WHO) said that the XBB.1.5 may spur more cases based on genetic characteristics and early growth rate estimates. Experts have also warned that the subvariant could be very dangerous but current booster shots continue to protect against severe symptoms, hospitalization and deaths.

WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that the subvariant has been on the rise globally and has been identified in over 25 countries.