Ohio Doctors Say New COVID-19 Variant XBB.1.5 Spreading Much Faster, Could Drive New Surge

A new COVID-19 variant, known as XBB.1.5, is affecting parts of the country, and doctors in Northeast Ohio said they are keeping a close eye on it and preparing for a potential surge.

According to Dr. Daniel Rhoads, director of microbiology at Cleveland Clinic, their data implies that it is spreading swiftly, more quickly than other variants.

While Rhoads acknowledged that additional information concerning XBB.1.5 is still being gathered, early data suggest it spreads quickly, might be more contagious, and evades antibodies more than previous omicron variants.

According to WKYC, roughly 75% of the country's new cases have occurred in the northeast, where the prevalence of this strain increased from 4% to 40% in December, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data.

Rhoads noted that it appears to have a higher affinity for binding to the ACE-2 receptor in humans, allowing for infection.

It also appears to avoid the antibodies that many of us have from immunizations and past infections.

There is currently insufficient data to determine whether this new COVID-19 variant is more deadly or causes more severe illness, although doctors have expressed worry.

"Even if you've had COVID in the past and even if you've been vaccinated, there's a good chance that you could still catch this new variant," Rhoads noted.

What Experts Know About New COVID-19 Variant XBB.1.5?

With the emergence of thisthe new COVID-19 variant, health professionals in Ohio advise the senior population to obtain their booster doses.

The number of reported cases, hospitalizations, and fatalities is down from the previous two seasons, which is good news.

But the disease still kills dozens of Ohioans weekly, and a new, much more contagious strain has recently emerged.

Summit County's health commissioner, Donna Skoda, said: "It ends up mutating into a new variant all the time." According to Skoda, the coronavirus has been doing this all winter.

She and other state authorities have reported that the virus has mutated into a new strain, dubbed "XBB.1.5," which is an even more contagious version of the omicron strain.

According to the state's health department, the weekly death toll from COVID-19 in Ohio is 90. Fox 8 noted that statistics show that those over 65 make up roughly 80% of COVID fatalities in Ohio.

About 87% of adults aged 65 and up have completed their vaccination schedules, per data compiled by the Ohio Department of Health (OHD).

However, specialists in the state's healthcare system reported that only 38% of the population had received the optimum protection of an updated booster, which causes concern among many medical professionals.

Over 1.2 million Ohio seniors are either not vaccinated or are not up to date with the bivalent vaccine that was made accessible in September. Skoda speculated that this is because of vaccine fatigue.

According to the state health director, Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, immunity declines with age, and the new COVID vaccine can help.

Additionally, health professionals stressed that booster shots are helpful for everyone, not only for the elderly.

How Dangerous Is New COVID-19 Variant XBB.1.5?

The Atlantic reported that the Omicron branch XBB.1.5 is responsible for the most recent Northeastern outbreaks.

XBB.1.5 is the most rapidly spreading new COVID-19 variant in the country because it can evade antibodies and cling much more securely to the surface of our cells.

Its estimated national infection rate jumped from 20% to 40% in the final week of December. Soon, it will likely be the only one left, or at least very close.

Johns Hopkins University's infectious-disease modeler Shaun Truelove said the rate at which a new strain replaces older ones is the most critical indicator.

"That's the big thing everybody looks for- how quickly it takes over from existing variants. And that's a really quick rise," Truelove noted.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: Northeast Ohio Doctors Concerned About New COVID-19 Variant - From WKYC Channel 3