Washington/Viyana. It has been three years since the epidemic, which was announced to the world on December 31, 2019 by China, the most populated country in the world. Is the coronavirus epidemic, which killed millions of people and closed borders, returning?
A new Covid sub-variant spreading rapidly in the US is causing concerns. XXB.1.5 has been detected in 29 countries, including European countries, so far. So, what is known regarding this variant?
1.5, a new type of XBB, which was first seen in October and revealed to consist of a combination of two different Omicron sub-variants, raises the concern that there will be an increase in Covid cases around the world, especially in the USA and China.
The XBB.1.5 variant, also known as ‘Kraken’, has been spotted in dozens of countries. WHO made a flash statement following the variant, which caused the discussions ‘Should the masks return’.
WHO announces mask decision
World Health Organization (WHO) Europe Emergency Director, Catherine Smallwood, announced at a press conference on Tuesday that the XBB.1.5 sub-variant is also seen in small but increasing numbers in Europe.
Passengers were advised to wear masks in situations where the risk is higher, such as on long plane trips.
Smallwood said that passengers coming from destinations where Covid-19 has increased rapidly should be advised to wear masks.
Watch out for these 5 symptoms
XBB.1.5 is the fastest-spreading sub-variant of Omicron to date and is now the most common worldwide. Doctors described the most prominent symptoms of XBB.1.5. According to US health experts who spoke to the Huff Post, the 5 most prominent symptoms of XBB.1.5 are as follows;
- Muscle pain.
- Severe cough.
- Throat ache.
- Headache.
- Congestion in the nose.
Speaking to the same newspaper, Dr., chief of infectious disease at Saint Peter’s University Hospital in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Henry Redel stated that with the new variant, they are less likely to encounter some of the symptoms seen in the past.
Less common symptoms include loss of taste and smell and shortness of breath.
Does it evade immunity thanks to additional mutation?
Andrew Pekosz, a virologist at Johns Hopkins University, said that XBB.1.5 appears to evade a high degree of immunity, as it has an additional mutation that allows it to bind better to cells.
Pekosz made the following statements in a statement to CNBC; “The virus needs to attach tightly to cells to be more efficient at getting in, and this may help the virus be a little more efficient at infecting humans.”
Mahon said that despite the rapid spread of the variant in question, there is little indication that XBB.1.5 causes more serious disease or poses a greater danger to those infected than previous strains. (yenivatan.at)
