The covid-19 pandemic unfortunately affected millions of people, but nowadays, in a more peaceful scenario, the world is expected to be more healthy. However, new variants still emerge and people are worried again.
It is the case of new variant, called XBB.1.5. In Brazil, there are still no reports of it, but in November of last year two other sublines of omicron were detected: XBB.1 and CK.2.1.1.
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Pay attention to this new variant and continue to take due care
XBB.1.5 is an offshoot of the omicron variant, which is currently dominant in the world. People who have already been infected by it have had symptoms similar to those of a cold.
According to research, XBB.1.5 evolved from XBB, which began circulating in the UK in September 2022.
Imperial College London professor Wendy Barclay reported that XBB.1.5 has a mutation known as F486P that restores the ability to bind to cells. However, it can also negatively affect the immune defense, which is why it can spread more easily.
She also says that the virus evolved and ended up finding other ways to circumvent the body's defense mechanisms.
In the United States, for example, more than 40% of cases are XBB.1.5 and, therefore, this variant has already become the dominant one in the country, surpassing previous omicron mutations. Hospitals have already started to receive more XBB.1.5 victims, and the government has restarted free testing programs.
When it comes to the UK, the scenario is different. According to Professor Barclay, there are no indications that XBB.1.5 will overcome the protection against severe forms of the disease provided by vaccines.
For Professor David Heymann, it will be difficult for the subvariant to cause major problems in countries with high vaccination rates. However, in countries like China, the case is already more worrying, as there is low acceptance of vaccines and little natural immunity.