As of: 01/13/2023 7:10 p.m
The new coronavirus variant XBB.1.5 was detected for the first time in Lower Saxony. This was announced by the State Health Office (NLGA) today. So far there is no evidence of more severe disease progression.
Fabian Fell, President of the NLGA, assumes that the new variant will determine the course of infection in Lower Saxony in the future. XBB.1.5 has a selection advantage over other corona variants. “How quickly and when this variant will dominate the infection process cannot currently be predicted, but we will continue to monitor the spread closely,” explained Fell. Both the state health department and private laboratories in Lower Saxony carry out variant sequencing.
VIDEO: Don’t worry about the new Corona variant XBB.1.5 (01/09/2023) (2 Min)
Government spokeswoman: Vaccination remains important
A spokeswoman for the state government of Lower Saxony referred to the statements of the virologist Christian Drosten with regard to the new variant XBB.1.5: “The fact that Mr. Drosten of all people is promising a new wave for the beginning of March should be of concern to those in Lower Saxony who have not yet been vaccinated are, or cause the elderly and vulnerable who are not yet adequately boosted to do so very quickly now.” Protection through masks, distance and other measures will continue to decrease in the coming weeks. She appealed that people with a corona infection should stay at home.
Further information
XBB.1.5 is an omicron subvariant
XBB.1.5 is an omicron subvariant. According to the Covid-19 weekly report by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) on Thursday evening, it has so far made up 1 percent of the proven cases in Germany. XBB.1.5 was first discovered in the USA and is now also spreading to Europe. There is currently no evidence of a more severe course of the disease compared to other omicron variants.
Behrens left because of the new Corona subvariant
Lower Saxony Health Minister Daniela Behrens (SPD) recently classified the new subline of the corona virus as “not a worrying variant”. A spread of the omicron subtype XBB.1.5 will probably not be “reflected in the hospitals,” the minister told NDR Lower Saxony on Monday. And only on Thursday did Behrens announce that End of the corona isolation obligation in Lower Saxony at the turn of the month. The mask requirement in local transport should also fall on February 2nd – at the same time as that End of the nationwide mask requirement in long-distance traffic.
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