What We Know About The New COVID-19 Strain: XBB.1.5.

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Like the flu, the COVID-19 virus mutates. That means new strains develop that aren’t as responsive to existing vaccines or immunity in previously infected individuals. However, there is one new strain that has caught experts’ attention because of the warp speed at which it is spreading. To give some idea of the reach of this strain, many have started to call it “the Kraken.”

The official name of the Kraken is XBB.1.5. It’s the strain responsible for the highest percentage of current cases, and jumped from representing two percent of cases to 27 percent in a matter of one month, according to the CDC. So, what do you need to know about this new strain in order to keep yourself and your loved ones safe? Here’s what we’ve learned so far.

It’s A Descendant Of Omicron

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The XBB.1.5 is a descendant of the omicron strain and is said to contain parts from several other strains. Experts say it has a specific mutation that makes it exceptionally good at evading immunity – both from vaccines and from previous infections. It’s better than other strains at binding to cells and replicating, which is why it’s able to spread so quickly.

Like with omicron, if you catch XBB.1.5, you’ll be contagious for one to two days before symptoms appear and for up to several days after the onset of symptoms. It may also take up to five days after exposure for symptoms to appear.

Naturally, many individuals are wondering if having been previously infected with a different omicron strain could provide immunity against XBB.1.5. Experts say that if your prior infection was more than several months ago, you are at risk of catching XBB.1.5 as your immune response will have since declined.

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Here’s Some Good News

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Even though XBB.1.5 is spreading quickly, it is not causing any more severe illnesses or hospitalizations than previous strains. In the Northeast, where three-quarters of cases are due to XBB.1.5, hospitals report that there has not been an increase in severe symptoms.

Experts believe the relatively mild nature of the strain is due to robust population immunity, which we have thanks to a combination of vaccinated individuals and previously infected ones. Ultimately, XBB.1.5 does not appear to be making people any sicker than other variants.

It’s also important to note that this recent spike in the variant coincides with the busiest travel time of the year. Much of the world has either just traveled or gathered in groups, so some sort of spike was to be expected.

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How Does The Vaccine Play A Role In XBB.1.5?

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Currently, only 15 percent of eligible individuals have received their boosters. Experts urge eligible individuals who have not yet received their bivalent booster to get it.

What is a bivalent booster? The earlier vaccines only protected against the original strain of COVID-19. The bivalent booster protects against the original strain, plus omicron and its variants.

The current bivalent vaccine was designed to offer protection against the omicron variant BA.5, according to the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. While XBB.1.5 is derived from a different variant – BA.2. – experts still believe the bivalent vaccine can provide some protection against XBB.1.5. It is not recommended that you skip the current bivalent vaccine and wait for a newer one to be created.

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Busting An Important Myth

New XBB.1.5 Omicron subvariant virus mutation concept

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As has been the case throughout the pandemic, misinformation continues to circulate. There are some groups that assert that the XBB.1.5 emerged as a result of the vaccine, stating that it created an environment for a super variant to arise.

Experts would like the public to understand that, throughout the pandemic, there have been breakthrough infections of several variants, including while the vaccines and boosters have existed, so there is no evidence to connect this particular variant to the vaccines.

Additionally, several studies have examined this idea to see if the variant is spreading faster in areas of high vaccination. No correlation was found.

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