Omicron Subvariant XBB.1.5 to Soon Become Dominant Strain in Europe

Transmission to People with Weakened Immunity
Severe Cases Expected to Be Limited

Experts have predicted that 'XBB.1.5,' known as the most transmissible subvariant of the COVID-19 Omicron variant, will become the dominant strain in Europe within weeks.

On the 7th (local time), German news agency dpa reported that Dr. Hajo Zib from the Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology in Bremen, Germany, stated, "XBB.1.5 is spreading among people in Germany whose immunity has weakened due to a long time since vaccination, following the United States," and predicted, "This variant will also become dominant in Germany." It is analyzed that the XBB.1.5, which has recently been rampant in the United States, is showing a spreading trend in Europe, including Germany. However, he noted that the number of confirmed XBB.1.5 infections in Germany is still low and that there is no need to consider new measures at this time.

Professor Richard Neher of the Virus and Bacteria Evolution Research Group at the University of Basel also said, "XBB.1.5, first discovered in October last year, became the dominant strain in the northeastern United States by mid-last month and is gradually spreading to other regions." However, he explained that there is little information about the severity caused by XBB.1.5 and, based on the situation in the United States, this variant is expected to have no significant difference in causing severe illness compared to other variants that have circulated so far.

Earlier, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported on the 6th that XBB.1.5 infections accounted for 27.6% of all new COVID-19 cases in the United States, an increase of 9.3 percentage points from 18.3% on December 31, a week earlier. In the northeastern U.S., XBB.1.5 infections are estimated to account for more than 70% of new cases, making it the dominant strain, while in other regions, about one-third of new cases are estimated to be XBB.1.5 infections.

Meanwhile, Bloomberg News reported that XBB.1.5 was confirmed for the first time in South Africa on the same day. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), this variant appears to have spread to 28 countries worldwide. It is known to be the most transmissible among the Omicron subvariants identified so far.