WASHINTON DC, KOMPAS.com – The new Covid subvariant XBB.1.5 is causing concern in United States of America because it spreads fast.
Several cases have also been recorded in the UK.
This subvariant has not been found in Indonesia.
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However, WHO epidemiologists have stated a new subvariant XBB.1.5 it is the most transmissible compared to the other subvariants detected so far.
Omicron XBB.1.5 defects were found in 28 countries of the world.
What is Omicron XBB.1.5 and what are the symptoms?
The new Covid subvariant XBB.1.5 is an offshoot of the globally dominating Covid Omicron variant and comes after the Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta variants.
Omicron has “surpassed” all previous variants of the Corona virus, since it appeared in late 2021.
Even after its emergence, there have been many sub-variants that are even more contagious than the original variant.
The symptoms of Omicron XBB.1.5 are thought to be similar to those of previous strains of Omicron, but it is too early to tell for sure. Most people experience cold-like symptoms.
Is Omicron XBB.1.5 more contagious or dangerous than the previous variant?
Omicron XBB.1.5 is a revolution of XBB and was first identified in India in August 2022, but it is not yet classified as “Vworry soarer (VOC)” by the health authorities.
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The XBB mutation is able to overcome the body’s immune defenses, but these same qualities also reduce its ability to infect human cells.
Professor Wendy Barclay of Imperial College London said XBB.1.5 has a mutation known as F486P, which is able to bind to cells while still evading immunity. This makes it easier to spread.
He said this evolutionary shift was like a “stepping stone,” as the virus evolved to find new ways to bypass the body’s defense mechanisms.
On Wednesday (01/04/2023), scientists from the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that XBB.1.5 had a “growth advantage”, over all other subvariants known to date.
However, they said there was no indication that the growth was any more severe or dangerous than previous variants of Omicron.
WHO said it would continue to closely monitor laboratory studies, hospital data and infection rates to learn more about the impact on patients.
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Where does Omicron XBB.1.5 spread? He’s already in Indonesia?
More than 40% of Covid cases in the US are thought to be caused by XBB.1.5.
This makes it the dominant subvariant in the country.
As of early December 2022, XBB.1.5. accounting for only 4% of cases, but with current infection rates, this subvariant is outpacing other versions of Omicron.
Covid hospitalization rates have also increased in recent weeks in the United States.
Meanwhile, in Indonesia, the XBB.1.5 subvariant has not yet been found.
The currently dominant variants in Indonesia are XBB and BA.5, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, head of the communications and utilities office, said.
“The case and genomic surveillance is still ongoing,” Nadia said BBC Indonesia news.
While there has been a spike in Covid cases in a number of countries, partly due to the emergence of new secondary variants, Indonesia no longer requires Covid test results for foreign travelers (PPLN).
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The spokesman of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Last December, Mohammad Syahril said that the discovery of new variants of the corona virus in Indonesia has not given rise to a new wave of infections.
“Omicron BA.2.75 and BF.7 are already in Indonesia. But they are fine. That means there hasn’t been a significant spike. Secondly, it hasn’t caused hospitalization or death,” Syahril told National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB). ) event.
Furthermore, he said, a survey conducted by the Ministry of Health together with the Faculty of Public Health of the University of Indonesia in July 2022 showed that 98.5% of Indonesian citizens already had SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, either from infection than by vaccination.
The WHO said in a press release that the ability of the XBB subvariant to drive new waves of infection appears to depend on population immunity, as well as the coverage of Covid-19 vaccinations.
Are Scientists Concerned About Omicron XBB.1.5?
Professor Barclay said he was not overly concerned about the impact of the virus on the vaccinated population.
However, he is concerned about the effect on susceptible people, including immunocompromised people, who are less likely to benefit from the injection of the Covid vaccine.
Professor Hunter said he saw no evidence that XBB.1.5 was more virulent. This means that the chance of the virus causing someone to go to the hospital or die is less than the existing Omicron variant.
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“It’s ironic that everyone is focusing on a possible variant from China, but XBB.1.5 is emerging in the US,” he added.
Professor David Heymann of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine admitted there is still a lot to learn about this new variant.
However, he said it was unlikely to be a major problem in countries that previously had high rates of vaccinations and infections.
Instead, he is concerned about countries like China, where vaccine uptake is low and natural immunity is reduced due to long lockdowns.
‘China needs to share clinical information on infected people to see how the variant performs in a non-immune population,’ said Professor Heymann.
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