What to Know About the New XBB.1.5 Variant
- last year
A new variant of the virus that causes COVID-19 is spreading in the U.S., raising concerns about a potential wave of infections and reinfections to start the new year.
The variant, called XBB.1.5, is a descendent of Omicron and a close relative of the XBB variant, which spread widely in Singapore and India this past fall. A December study in the journal Cell demonstrated that XBB is better at evading immune defenses gained from vaccination and prior infection, compared to other variants.
The variant, called XBB.1.5, is a descendent of Omicron and a close relative of the XBB variant, which spread widely in Singapore and India this past fall. A December study in the journal Cell demonstrated that XBB is better at evading immune defenses gained from vaccination and prior infection, compared to other variants.