XBB.1.16 Deemed COVID-19 “Variant of Interest”

• Published in: JAMA : the journal of the American Medical Association Vol. 329; no. 20; p. 1731
• Main Author: Harris, Emily
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Medical Association 23.05.2023
• Subjects: COVID-19; COVID-19 - genetics; COVID-19 - virology; Epidemiology; Fatalities; Humans; Risk assessment
• ISSN: 0098-7484; 1538-3598
• DOI: 10.1001/jama.2023.7768

After increasing in prevalence during the early months of 2023, the Omicron descendent XBB.1.16 is now a variant of interest, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced. XBB.1.16, a combination of 2 BA.2 lineages, accounted for 4.15% of COVID-19 cases worldwide as of the week of March 27, up from 0.52% 4 weeks prior. More than 30 countries have reported XBB.1.16 cases, the majority of which are in India. The current global risk assessment for XBB.1.16 is low, although the WHO warned that the variant might continue to spread and contribute to an increase in cases due to its "growth advantage and immune escape properties." Overall, cases and deaths from COVID-19 declined globally from mid-March to mid-April, with more than 2.8 million new infections and 18 000 deaths reported during that time. Southeast Asia and Eastern Mediterranean regions, along with a handful of individual countries where cases and deaths have increased, are exceptions, according to the WHO's epidemiological update.