Posted on 04/14/2023 10:36:56 AM PDT by nickcarraway
XBB.1.16, the subvariant behind a COVID-19 surge in India, has been reported in 22 countries and 18 U.S. states.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is keeping tabs on the new omicron subvariant XBB.1.16, dubbed “Arcturus” by those tracking the virus. XBB.1.16 is currently fueling a surge of cases in India, where it’s the dominant subvariant, and has been identified in at least 22 countries, including the United States.
XBB.1.16 is “one to watch,” according to Maria Van Kerkhove, PhD, COVID-19 technical lead at WHO and a professor at the Georgetown University Center for Global Health Science and Security in Washington, DC.
WHO is actively monitoring XBB.1.16, Dr. Van Kerkhove said at a press conference on March 29, “because it has potential changes that we need to keep a good eye out on.”
“It’s actually very similar in profile to XBB.1.5. It has one additional mutation in the spike protein, which in lab studies shows increased infectivity, as well as potential increased pathogenicity,” the potential ability to produce disease, she said.
The subvariant XBB.1.5 is currently responsible for almost 90 percent of COVID-19 cases in the United States, according to the COVID Data Tracker from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Although XBB.1.16 is more of a global issue at this point, it has been reported in 18 U.S. states and accounts for an estimated 2.9 percent of current cases, according to a COVID dashboard kept by the New York Institute of Technology.
“This appears to be a highly communicable variant, based on reports from around the world,” says Paul Pottinger, MD, professor in the division of allergy and infectious diseases at UW Medicine in Seattle.
Why Are Health Officials Concerned About XBB.1.1.6? One of the big uncertainties around COVID-19 is that the virus hasn’t settled into a predictable pattern and continues to evolve, said Van Kerkhove at the press conference. “One of things we are very concerned about is the potential for the virus to change, to become not only more transmissible but more severe,” she said.
There will continue to be waves of COVID infection, said Van Kerkhove. “The peaks of those infections may not be as large as we saw before and likely will not be, because we have population-level immunity that has increased around the world from vaccination and also from past infection,” she said.
India reported 6,000 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, April 9, a number that health officials attribute to XBB.1.16. The country’s health ministry is conducting mock drills to check preparedness of hospitals to deal with rising COVID-19 numbers, according to a BBC report.
Although case counts in India are still relatively low compared to previous surges, deaths and hospitalizations due to the new subvariant continue to climb.
“Indian COVID surge: Severity of cases is going up in Delhi too! XBB.1.16 #Arcturus effect? Hospitalization count: 170 (66 in ICU, 54 on oxygen support and 15 on Ventilator)” read an April 11 tweet by Vipin Vashishtha, MD, a pediatrician at Mangla Hospital in Bijnor, India, and former head of the Indian Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Immunization.
Testing, Antivirals, and Vaccination Continue to Play an Important Role in Preventing COVID-19 Transmission People over 60 years old and those with underlying health conditions continue to be at the highest risk for severe COVID-19, said Van Kerkhove.
Healthcare systems need to “have good antivirals that are in use and given to patients who need them, when they need them, to prevent severe disease and really, critically, to focus on vaccinating those who are most at risk,” she said.
COVID-19 testing still detects this subvariant quite well, so people who think they may have been infected should be tested, says Dr. Pottinger.
If you’re not yet fully vaccinated and boosted, the new subvariant is “another good reason to get that taken care of,” he says.
“We do not know whether this variant may be more or less virulent than other strains, meaning the severity of illness that it causes is not yet fully described, but I am hopeful it will be a mild course for most patients,” says Pottinger.
As with earlier variants, people with chronic medical issues, especially those who have lung issues or are immunocompromised, may still be at risk of more severe illness, he says.
“So far, it appears that Paxlovid remains effective in reducing the duration of viral shedding for this variant, and thus it is likely beneficial for patients in those high-risk categories,” says Pottinger.
It’s a little early. The vote is over a year away.
Why do they come up with these convoluted names for their new pet variants? Delta was simple and easy for everyone to say, remember, understand. Then they invented “omicron”, and now this even more ridiculous “arcturus”. Why? Do they think that makes in scarier?
Well, Delta and Omicron was when they were naming them after Greek letters.
Quick! Grab your mask and head for the basement!
must be an election coming up
Even if we have something like covid or small pox the next time, the government will not be able to do anything about it. Maybe in Japan or Australia, they might lock down their nations. But people will riot here in USA or the UK. We are not going to give up our freedoms even if it gets us killed. You will see some Democrats in blue cities locking themselves in homes but that's about it.
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