Here’s what to know about XBB, the new top COVID variant in the Northeast - MassLive.com

COVID-19 volition transportation connected into 2023 arsenic the caller XBB variant was precocious recovered to beryllium the ascendant strain crossed New England, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Omicron subvariant XBB accounts for astir 52.6% of each cases successful New England betwixt Dec. 18 and Dec. 24, according to the CDC. XBB constitutes 18.3% of cases crossed the country.

Here’s a breakdown of what is presently known and what remains to beryllium researched astir XBB.

How transmissible is XBB?

The dispersed of XBB has been indicated by wellness experts arsenic a motion of an accrued transmission rate.

Colorado University School of Medicine immunologist and vaccine specializer Ross Kedl told UCHealth that XBB and different caller variants are “barking astatine the heels of measles, and that is rather a singular level of transmission.”

Dr. Jeremy Luban, prof of molecular medicine, biochemistry, and molecular biotechnology astatine UMass Chan Medical School, echoed this constituent to The Boston Globe. XBB “like it’s conscionable going to stroke the different (variants) distant successful a precise abbreviated period,” helium said.

How terrible is it to declaration the XBB variant of COVID?

The World Health Organization’s Technical Advisory Group connected SARS-CoV-2 Virus Evolution provided its archetypal findings with existent variants of concern, including XBB, successful October. Early grounds suggested a higher reinfection hazard compared with different circulating Omicron subvariants.

“While further studies are needed, the existent information bash not suggest determination are important differences successful illness severity for XBB infections,” the advisory radical said successful a statement.

However, contracting COVID-19 remains astir terrible among those who are unvaccinated, immunocompromised oregon both. Boston Medical Center’s nationalist wellness programs manager Cassandra Pierre told GBH that nary information suggests XBB tin evade Paxlovid and Remdemsivir, among different antiviral drugs.

This contrasts with monoclonal antibodies, according to the New England Journal of Medicine’s data. XBB carries “additional substitutions successful the receptor-binding domain of the spike protein, which is the large people for vaccines and therapeutic monoclonal antibodies for coronavirus illness 2019,” the diary said, adding that caller variants reenforce “the request for caller therapeutic monoclonal antibodies for COVID-19.”

How to enactment protected

As with anterior strains of COVID-19, extortion starts with getting vaccinated. Because XBB is simply a subvariant of the Omicron strain, wellness experts similar astatine the New England Journal of Medicine suggest receiving the Omicron bivalent booster changeable to enactment protected against XBB and different Omicron subvariants similar BA.2.75.2 and BQ.1.1

But vaccines bash not connection full immunity from getting sick. White House main aesculapian advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci told reporters successful November that the booster, portion the champion information against XBB, volition instrumentality a deed from the caller variant.

“The extortion is diminished multifold with XBB...” Fauci told reporters. “It goes down adjacent much with XBB. It doesn’t autumn disconnected the map, but it goes down. So, you could expect immoderate protection, but not the optimal protection.”

Fauci besides reiterated that radical bounds their indoor capableness during the holidays, get tested earlier attending immoderate gatherings and deterioration a mask.

Should I deterioration a mask?

Wearing a KN95 oregon N95 disguise continues to beryllium the champion outer extortion against airborne viruses similar COVID-19, according to the CDC.

How ‘new’ is XBB?

Scientists archetypal identified XBB successful the United States connected Sept. 15, New York Institute of Technology adjunct dean of probe Rajendram Rajnarayanan told Fortune successful October.

Where has XBB been detected?

XBB was recovered successful 35 countries, including India, England, Australia, Bangladesh, Denmark, Singapore and Canada, according to Time connected Nov. 7. An updated fig of countries has yet to beryllium reported.

In the United States, XBB makes up for implicit fractional of COVID-19 cases successful New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, according to the CDC. In the states betwixt Pennsylvania and Virginia, XBB makes up astir 20% of cases.

Cases successful the southeastern United States are adjacent to 13%. Around the Great Lakes and eastbound of the Mississippi River, including Alaska and Hawaii, XBB constitutes betwixt 4 and 9% of cases.

What does “XBB” basal for?

XBB is simply a recombinant of 2 BA.2 sublineages stemming from the Omicron variant, the CDC said. If XBB were a variant wholly unrelated to Omicron, it would person a due Greek missive designation similar erstwhile variants, specified arsenic Delta.

T. Ryan Gregory, a prof of integrative biology astatine Canada’s University of Guelph, told Time that names with letters and numbers are captious for scientists to know, arsenic they pass accusation astir however COVID-19 has evolved.