Experts worried about a new variant of COVID-19 in the new year

Experts warn that a new variant of COVID “may be something to watch out for in 2023” after a spike in infections. In particular, the number of cases in the United States more than doubled in a week.

A new variant of COVID should be “beware” of a new variant of COVID this year after a spike in US cases, experts say.

Tim Spector, professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College London, singled out a variant of Omicron after the scientist said the number of cases in America more than doubled in a week, according to Sky News.

More than 40% of COVID cases in the United States are currently caused by the XBB.1.5 variant, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Friday. And in the northeastern United States, about 75% of confirmed cases are reported to be XBB.1.5. American scientist Eric Topol says it currently outperforms all options, and “we haven’t seen such a rapid growth in options” since the original Omicron came out a year ago.

In response, Professor Tim Spector, founder of the COVID Zoe app, tweeted: “XBB could be the new option to look into in 2023.”

As Sky News explains, XBB.1.5 is a mutated version of XBB’s “Omicron” that was first discovered in India in August.

The XBB variant was found in at least 70 countries, causing spikes in infections in parts of Asia, including India and Singapore, in October, according to the World Health Organization. Studies have shown that the strain is able to avoid antibodies from previous COVID infections or vaccinations.

The concern about XBB.1.5 is largely based on how it is currently distributed in the US and it has not been included in the UK Health Safety Agency (UKHSA) list of options of concern. But at the same time, according to the Cambridge Sanger Institute in the week leading up to Saturday 17 December, about 4% of all COVID cases in the UK were associated with the XBB 1.5 variant.

Dr Mira Chand, Director of Clinical and Emerging Infections at the UKHSA, said: “The emergence of new variants of SARS-CoV-2 is not unexpected. The UKHSA, as always, is closely monitoring the situation. Vaccination remains our best defense against future waves of COVID-19, so it remains more important than ever that people take all the doses they are entitled to as soon as possible.”

But University of Warwick virologist Professor Lawrence Young says the new strain is a “wake-up call” and could exacerbate the crisis in the National Health System. He told the Mail Online: “We do not know how this option will perform in the UK in a population that has previously been exposed to other Omicron variants and where many people over 50 have been boosted with the bivalent vaccine. However, this is a wake-up call – a stark reminder that we cannot be complacent about COVID. The threat of XBB.1.5 and other variants of COVID, further exacerbating the current NHS crisis, highlights the need for us to remain vigilant.”

Dr. Barbara Mahon of the CDC says there is no indication that the XBB.1.5 variant causes more severe disease than any other Omicron variants. She told NBC News: “We’re seeing hospitalizations nationwide on the rise. They don’t appear to increase in areas with more XBB.1.5.”

While many public health experts are voicing concern over the rise in COVID cases in China – with the UK among countries imposing new testing restrictions – infectious disease experts are increasingly worried about option XBB.1.5.

Dr. Michael Osterholm, an infectious disease expert at the University of Minnesota, notes: “Ironically, probably the worst option the world is facing right now is actually XBB.”

American epidemiologist Eric Feigl-Ding also called XBB.1.5 “the next big virus”, saying that it is “more resistant to immunity and infects better” than previous variants.

Dr. Isaac Bogoh, an infectious disease physician and epidemiologist at the University of Toronto, said XBB.1.5 clearly has “immune evasion properties” and “we could definitely have a wave.” But he said if it does, it’s less likely to be as lethal or overwhelming to health systems as previous waves because immunity has already been built up.