[D66] Superbesmettelijke coronavariant (Wuhan Coronavirus 2019-nCoV #959)

[Dr. Marc-Alexander Fluks]

Bron:   MedScape
Datum:  10 januari 2023
Auteur: Ralph Ellis
URL:    https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/986759


New Omicron Subvariant Is 'Crazy Infectious,' COVID Expert Warns
----------------------------------------------------------------

The newest subvariant of Omicron, XBB.1.5, is so transmissible that 
everybody is at risk of catching it, even if they've already been 
infected and are fully vaccinated, a health expert told  USA Today. 
'It's crazy infectious,' said Paula Cannon, PhD., a virologist at the 
University of Southern California. 'All the things that have protected 
you for the past couple of years, I don't think are going to protect you 
against this new crop of variants.'

XBB.1.5 is spreading quickly in the United States. It accounted for 
27.6% of cases in the country last week, up from about 1% of cases at 
one point in December, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention. It's especially prevalent in the Northeast, now 
accounting for more than 70% of the cases in that region. It's spreading 
across the globe, too. Maria Van Kerkhove, PhD., technical lead of the 
World Health Organization, has called XBB.1.5 is 'the most transmissible 
subvariant that has been detected yet.'

Ashish Jha, MD, the White House COVID-19 response coordinator, tweeted a 
few days ago that the spread of XBB.1.5 is 'stunning' but cautioned that 
it's unclear if the symptoms of infection will be more severe than for 
previous variants. 'Whether we'll have an XBB.1.5 wave (and if yes, how 
big) will depend on many factors including immunity of the population, 
people's actions, etc.,' he tweeted.

He urged people to get up to date on their boosters, wear a snug-fitting 
mask, and avoid crowded indoor spaces. He noted that people who haven't 
been infected recently or haven't gotten the bivalent booster likely 
have little protection against infection.

The symptoms for XBB.1.5 appear to be the same as for other versions of 
COVID-19. However, it's less common for people infected with XBB.1.5 to 
report losing their sense of taste and smell, USA Today reported.


Sources

USA Today: 'People who haven't had COVID will likely catch XBB.1.5 - and 
many will get reinfected, experts say'
https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2023/01/06/covid-update-xbb-variant-symptoms-reinfection/10995204002/

CDC: COVID Data Tracker
https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#variant-proportions

--------
(c) 2023 WebMD LLC.