Just as we thought the worst was behind us, the rising number of COVID cases in China has raised alarms in and around the world. New variants have emerged, which are wreaking havoc in different parts of the globe including India. According to the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG), India's coronavirus monitoring body, five cases of the XBB.1.5 variant of the coronavirus have been detected in the country. On the other hand, four cases of Omicron subvariant BF.7 were detected in West Bengal on Wednesday.
While protecting yourself against all types of variants is key, you must also understand the difference between the two highly contagious variants and know whether one is more concerning than the other.
What is COVID's XBB.1.5?
The XBB.1.5 variant of COVID-19 is a sub-variant of XBB. It is said to be a new recombinant strain that was made from a combination of BA.2.75 and BA.2.10.1. The new sublineage is said to be more immune evasive and more contagious than BQ and XBB variations.
What is Omicron BF.7?
Omicron BF. 7 or BA.5.2.1.7. is one of the latest subvariants of the Omicron’s BA.5 variant, first detected in Northwest China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Also known as the 'Omicron spawn', this new variant is fast spreading and has been detected in several other countries including the United States, UK, Australia and Belgium.
XBB.1.5 vs Omicron: Which is more dangerous?
According to a December study in the journal Cell, XBB is better at evading immune defenses gained from vaccination and prior infection, compared to other variants, which is why the new XBB.1.5 appears to be highly transmissible, as it has picked up some key mutations from its parent strain.
The data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests that XBB.1.5 accounted for 40.5% of new sequenced COVID-19 cases in the U.S..
Scientists from the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed on Wednesday that XBB.1.5 has a higher "growth advantage" than other sub-variants. However, the experts said that there was no indication that it is more serious or dangerous than previous Omicron variants.
XBB.1.5 - ‘most transmissible subvariant of Omicron to date'
Maria Van Kerkhove, an epidemiologist who is the WHO’s technical lead on COVID-19 noted that XBB.1.5, which was first detected in the United States, has spread to at least 29 countries and “is the most transmissible form of Omicron to date.”
“We do expect further waves of infection around the world, but that doesn’t have to translate into further waves of death because our countermeasures continue to work,” she said.
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