Assoc. Prof. Dr. Thira Woratanarat, Faculty of Medicine Chulalongkorn University posted on Facebook Thira Woratanarat stating that March 1, 2023
Yesterday, around the world, there were 70,428 additional infections, 316 additional deaths, a total of 679,923,891 people, 6,799,868 total deaths.
The top 5 most infected are Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Russia and Austria.
As of yesterday, in the number of new infections, countries from Europe and Asia occupied eight of the top 10 and 18 of the top 20 globally.
The number of new infections per day around the world right now from Asia and Europe Together, it accounted for 94.08 percent of the world, while the number of deaths accounted for 80.37 percent.
Risk Assessment Results of XBB.1.5
The World Health Organization issued a risk assessment report for Omicron subspecies XBB.1.5 on February 24.
As is known, XBB.1.5 is a subspecies arising from the hybridization of the BA.2 virus line.
As of the third week of February, XBB.1.5 has been reported in 74 countries around the world.
During XBB.1, there is a genetic change that reduces the binding of the virus to the ACE2 receptor on the cell surface. But when it was mutated to XBB.1.5, it was found that the modified genotype, 486P, enhanced its ability to bind to ACE2 receptors at the target cell surface. As a result, this subspecies has an outbreak that spreads faster than before.
while avoiding that immunity It is clear from the scientific data that XBB.1.5 is as immune-resistant as XBB.1, which is considered to be one of the most immune-resistant of all Omicron substrains to date.
this immune resistance As a result, antibodies from older vaccines are insufficient to neutralize the virus. But current data suggests that Immunization with the new version, the bivalent vaccine, has been modified to immunize against Omicron BA.5, producing higher levels of antibodies than the original vaccine.
However, the antibody level after the booster injection will decrease over time. But it is believed that the body’s immune system (T-cells) will continue to work to fight the virus when infected. and can help reduce the risk of serious illness
In terms of severe illness from XBB.1.5, the available data suggest that the severity is similar to that of previous strains. and the variation of the genotype of XBB.1.5 was not expected to have a significant effect on the severity of morbidity.
In summary, the WHO team expects that XBB.1.5 will continue to cause further expansion of the outbreak. due to the information about the performance in the aforementioned areas
Therefore, daily life should be conscious, not careless, and protect yourself regularly.
Watch out for risky behavior. risky place
Improve ventilation at home, at work, at school, where to eat and drink.
Wearing a mask correctly can greatly reduce the risk. Both from COVID-19 and PM2.5
At this time, there are still people infected, both adults and children, with mild illnesses, but always be aware of the long-term effects of Long COVID.
No infection or re-infection is the best.
refer
XBB.1.5 Updated Risk Assessment. 24 February 2023.
