The CDC variant tracker is not yet listing XBB.1.16, though it has been documented in the U.S.
By Cecelia Smith-Schoenwalder
Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 is driving the vast majority of new COVID-19 cases in the U.S. but shows signs of declining, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
XBB.1.5 was responsible for 88% of new infections this week, according to CDC estimates. The subvariant plateaued in recent weeks and declined 1 percentage point from the previous week.
Another omicron subvariant, XBB.1.9.1, has started to show slight growth, increasing from 4% of cases last week to 5% this week as coronavirus infections and hospitalizations continue to decline in the U.S.
But the CDC is not yet listing the omicron subvariant that the World Health Organization recently said is “one to watch,” though the strain has been found in the U.S.
XBB.1.16 has been reported in 27 countries, according to WHO.
“To date, there have been no reports of higher severity for the currently circulating variants, although some countries have reported an increase in hospitalizations following a rise in case incidence,” WHO said in a report published this week. “However, there have been no reported rises in ICU admissions or deaths due to any of the currently circulating XBB descendent lineages.”
WHO’s Maria Van Kerkhove last week said the strain is similar to XBB.1.5 – the dominant strain circulating in the U.S.
“It has one additional mutation in the spike protein, which in lab studies shows increased infectivity as well as potential increased pathogenicity,” Van Kerkhove said at a press conference.
There are no reported lab studies on XBB.1.16’s severity as of yet, according to WHO.
