Mallika Dureja
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Even though the world is still trying to deal with the rise of Omicron BF.7 variant, a new variant called XBB.1.5 is now making people worried. Experts say that it is the “next big thing” and that it can cause a huge surge around the world.
Experts say that a new version of Omicron XBB.1.5 can infect even those who have been vaccinated, which is a cause for concern in many countries, including India, where it has been found.
The Independent: Covid news – live: New variant XBB.1.5 sparks concerns as Brits urged to wear masks again.https://t.co/UGsYXCxzj0
via @GoogleNews
— HEM News Agency (@halfeatenmind) January 4, 2023
This comes after the SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) said on January 3 that five cases of the XBB.1.5 variant have been found in India. INSACOG also said that three of the five cases were found in Gujarat, one each in Karnataka and Rajasthan, and that one case was found in Delhi.
The INSACOG said that the most common variant in India is still Omicron and its sub-lineages. The most common sub-lineage in India is XBB, which makes up 63.2% of all sub-lines.
All the information you need about the Omicron XBB.1.5 variant
A new recombinant strain called XBB15 is better at infecting cells and avoiding the immune system than BQ and XBB strains. The BQ1 version was 108% slower than the XBB1.5. But as more data has been added, XBB1.5 has sped up even more and is now 120% faster. It spreads even faster than the Omicron BF.7 virus. According to the data, more than 40% of all cases in the US are the new type.
Should Omicron XBB.1.5 variant cause India to worry?
Rajeev Jayadevan, co-chairman of the National IMA Covid task force, told the news agency ANI that XBB.1.5 is an improved version of XBB, a recombinant sub-lineage of Omicron that was found a few months ago in Singapore and then in India.
Dr. Jayadevan went on to say that this variant can infect people who have already been infected or even vaccinated.
“Immune evasiveness is the ability of the virus to infect people who had prior infection or vaccination or both. This was done by XBB.1.5 making a rare type of mutation called F486P in its RBD (receptor binding domain). It is not known whether it causes more severe diseases. Experts believe it is unlikely to do so,” the expert said.
But he said that scientists need to keep an eye out to see if these ongoing changes to the virus’s genes also make the disease worse.
When talking about the symptoms of variants, it is hard to tell what disease it is because there are always new strains and the symptoms of the infection change over time. But with Omicron emerging and vaccination coverage increasing, the symptoms related to the infection changed. Many people reported having a sore throat, a runny nose, a headache, and feeling tired. Now, it seems that many people are also reporting sharp pain in their shoulders and legs, which is called myalgia
