New variants may not always cause “waves” of cases anymore. That means it could cause cases to rise again, even in areas that have recently seen increased COVID infections-and especially if those infections stemmed from either BA.2, BA.5, or their descendants. XBB.1.16’s increased ability to outpace other variants suggests that it “will spread worldwide in the near future,” researchers wrote, adding that the variant is “robustly resistant” to antibodies from a variety of COVID variants, including “stealth Omicron” BA.2 and BA.5, which surged globally last summer. A preprint study updated Sunday from scientists at the University of Tokyo suggests that the variant spreads about 1.17 to 1.27 times as efficiently as relatives XBB.1 and XBB.1.5, the latter of which still dominates U.S. XBB.1.16 is a recombinant of two descendants of so-called stealth Omicron BA.2. He has spearheaded efforts to assign “street names” like Arcturus and Kraken to variants when the WHO chose not to assign new Greek letters to them, in an effort to make some sense out of the COVID alphabet soup. The pandemic is now in the “age of recombinants”-or existing variants that have combined with each other to potentially wreak more havoc-Ryan Gregory, a biology professor at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, told Fortune earlier this week. Adenovirus can also cause conjunctivitis-and it’s impossible to distinguish the two viruses from each other without testing. Richard Reithinger, an infectious disease epidemiologist at the nonprofit research institute RTI International, told Fortune on Monday that he’s also heard such reports, but that it’s “probably too early to tell” if the virus’s symptom set has truly shifted.Ĭases of adenovirus in children are also reportedly on the rise in India. There are “lots of anecdotals of pediatric conjunctivitis in India” right now, Rajnarayanan told Fortune on Monday. Vipin Vashishtha-a pediatrician in India and former head of the Indian Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Immunization-tweeted last week. It’s a symptom that hasn’t often been noted with other COVID variants, Dr. Cases of conjunctivitis, or pink eye, without pus, but causing “sticky eye” are on the rise among children in the country. Reports from India indicate that the variant’s symptom set may be changing-at least slightly, and at least in children. XBB.1.16 has the potential to outcompete all other circulating lineages.Įveryone is closely watching XBB.1.16 hotspots for clues Reported cases are also trending upward in the organization’s Eastern Mediterranean region-there, they’ve increased slightly more than 100% month over month. In fact, they’re up nearly 500% month over month in the region, with cases in India responsible for much of the rise. But reported cases are increasing in the WHO’s Southeast Asia region, which includes India, Indonesia, Thailand, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bhutan, and Timor-Leste, according to the international health organization’s latest epidemiological update. Reported COVID cases are on the decline in much of the world, as is testing. Rising cases in India, with a possible new symptom They’re lowest in the Northeast, where they’re estimated to fuel less than 2.5% of cases. In the U.S., levels of XBB.1.16 are highest in the south central region, where they are projected to represent more than 20% of cases, and on the West Coast, where they hover around 10%, according to the CDC. dominance, other up-and-coming Omicron spawn could provide competition, Rajnarayanan says-like XBB.2.3 and descendants, and XBC.1.6 and descendants. While XBB.1.16 looks to be on the path for eventual U.S. XBB.1.5 is still technically “top dog” in the U.S., but it “looks spent,” Raj Rajnarayanan, assistant dean of research and associate professor at the New York Institute of Technology campus in Jonesboro, Ark., and a top COVID variant tracker, tells Fortune. 6, and is estimated to fuel nearly 2% of U.S. XBB.1.9.1, XBB.1.9.2, and XBB.1.5.1 hold the third, fourth, and fifth spots, respectively, each representing an estimated 2.4% to 6.5% of cases.įD.2-a shortened name for another XBB spawn, XBB.1.5.15-comes in at No. It’s still thought to represent more than three-quarters of U.S. and global prominence during a winter wave of cases. XBB.1.5, also known as “Kraken,” rose to U.S. XBB variants hold the top six spots in the U.S.
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