What We Know About the XBB COVID Variant - Verywell Health

Around the world, COVID-19’s Omicron variant is inactive the ascendant circulating variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. However, the microorganism is inactive evolving into antithetic subvariants, each with its ain circumstantial mutations.

An Omicron subvariant that’s starting to summation planetary attraction is XBB, which comes from the BA.2 sublineage of the COVID virus.

How did XBB travel to be? Andy Pekosz, PhD, a virologist and the vice-chair of the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology astatine the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, told Verywell that since XBB is simply a operation of the BA.2.10.1 and BA.2.75 sublineages, it means the subvariant has parts of 2 antithetic viruses that infected the aforesaid big and exchanged immoderate of their genes successful the process.

But there’s nary request to panic. According to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Technical Advisory Group connected SARS-CoV-2 Virus Evolution (TAG-VE), XBB is considered portion of the Omicron variant. The radical concluded that XBB and its sublineages don’t request a caller statement oregon to beryllium designated arsenic a caller variant of interest due to the fact that they’re not precise antithetic from different Omicron sublineages.

Where XBB Has Spread

As of October 2022, XBB has been detected successful 35 countries, including the United States. The subvariant precocious drove a surge of COVID cases successful Singapore and has been liable for galore cases successful India, Australia, and South Korea arsenic well.

Spread successful the U.S.

It’s excessively soon to archer if XBB volition origin a surge successful the U.S. However, Raj Rajnarayanan, PhD, adjunct dean of probe and subordinate prof astatine the New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine’s Arkansas State University campus, told Verywell that New York is an emerging hotspot for the dispersed of XBB and its sublineages.

Pekosz said we don’t cognize however good XBB volition vie with existent Omicron variants successful the U.S. But we bash cognize that different subvariants similar BQ.1.1, BF.7, and BA.2.75.2 person akin mutations, and they are expanding successful the U.S. Therefore, helium said XBB is worthy watching carefully.

Whether XBB volition origin an uptick successful infections could beryllium somewhat connected a region’s immune landscape, which includes factors similar COVID vaccination sum and the size and timing of erstwhile waves of Omicron.

Is XBB More Contagious oregon Severe?

Pekosz pointed retired that COVID cases are expanding successful a highly vaccinated colonisation successful Singapore, which suggests XBB mightiness beryllium much transmissible.

Risk of Reinfection

Diana Finkel, DO, an adjunct prof successful the Department of Medicine and manager of the Infectious Disease Fellowship Program astatine Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, told Verywell that compared to different Omicron sublineages circulating, aboriginal grounds suggests determination mightiness beryllium a higher reinfection hazard with XBB. In different words, adjacent if you already had COVID, it’s imaginable you could get reinfected with the XBB variant.

People who were reinfected with XBB initially got COVID earlier the Omicron period. However, we request to spot much information to cognize for definite whether XBB escapes Omicron immunity oregon not.

Finkel said that portion there’s nary grounds yet that XBB volition airs a greater hazard than different Omicron subvariants, we inactive request to beryllium connected the lookout and support an oculus connected the complaint of caller infections.

Is XBB More Severe?

Right now, determination are nary signs that XBB causes much terrible COVID illness. However, radical should support successful caput that determination are galore factors that power however sick a idiosyncratic volition get if they drawback COVID, not conscionable which variant they get.

Will Vaccines and Treatments Work Against XBB?

Pekosz said that adjacent though Singapore saw a ample fig of COVID cases, determination wasn’t a large spike successful hospitalizations. This could suggest that COVID vaccines tin inactive connection extortion against terrible disease—about 92% of Singapore’s colonisation is afloat vaccinated and 80% person had their booster shots.

Still, it appears that the recombinant XBB.1 is much resistant to the neutralizing antibodies induced by booster doses than different circulating subvariants similar BA.4/5, BQ.1.1, and BA.2.75.2.

Early information shows that the immune effect induced by a bivalent COVID booster was enhanced successful radical who already had COVID. However, the findings are based connected preliminary evidence, and much studies are needed.

The medications we presently person to dainty COVID are expected to inactive beryllium effectual against the circulating variants and XBB. However, Finkel said that Evusheld (a operation of monoclonal antibodies tixagevimab and cilgavimab) mightiness not enactment arsenic well.

In a preprint survey published to medRxiv, researchers said that XBB is 1 of the astir antibody-evasive mutations they’ve tested and that it shows beardown absorption to antibody drugs. Those convergent mutations of Omicron whitethorn evade neutralizing antibody (NAb) drugs (like Evusheld and Bebtelovimab) and convalescent plasma.

Health agencies worldwide are intimately watching the XBB variant and trying to larn arsenic overmuch arsenic they tin astir it.

For now, the champion measurement you tin instrumentality to support yourself from COVID is to get a bivalent booster erstwhile you’re eligible. The updated shots supply amended extortion against the Omicron variant than the erstwhile monovalent booster vaccines.

The accusation successful this nonfiction is existent arsenic of the day listed, which means newer accusation whitethorn beryllium disposable erstwhile you work this. For the astir caller updates connected COVID-19, sojourn our coronavirus quality page.