Covid-19: CDC Says It's Now Tracking More Immune-Evasive XBB Variant Growing In Northeast

With more than 300 COVID-19 Omicron sublineages circulating around the globe, a new potentially more contagious variant called XBB is being closely monitored by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC).

A new potentially more contagious COVID-19 Omicron variant called XBB is being closely monitored by the CDC.
Photo Credit: *Fusion Medical Animation on Unsplash*

Joe Lombardi

11/27/2022 9:30 a.m.

XBB is considered more immune-evasive than other Omicron variants, Chief White House medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci said last week.

But government officials said they don't think XBB will become a threat at the level of Omicron, which first emerged on the global scene almost exactly a year ago.

Though XBB now accounts for just over 3 percent of new cases in the United States, the Northeast has seen the most growth of the strain so far, according to the CDC's "NOWCAST" tracker.

XBB has been detected in about 35 countries so far, the World Health Organization said.

"Whether the increased immune escape of XBB* is sufficient to drive new infection waves appears to depend on the regional immune landscape as affected by the size and timing of previous Omicron waves, as well as the COVID-19 vaccination coverage," the WHO said in a statement.

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