‘XBB.1.5 variant may not result in a large wave of Covid-19 infections’ – Health Department

The Department of Health says new Covid-19 variant may not see a large wave of infections in South Africa.

The highly transmissible XBB.1.5 variant was recently detected in the country.

According to the department, the XBB.1.5’s symptoms are similar to the previous Omicron variants and resemble cold-like symptoms, such as runny nose, sore throat, cough and congestion.

‘Sub-variant of concern’

The new sublineage is now being monitored as a sub-variant of concern.

“The XBB sublineage has been shown to have increased immune evasion compared to previous sublineages.

“Since its identification, the XBB sublineage has given rise to several more sublineages, including XBB.1, XBB.2, and XBB.3, that have been circulating in South Africa since October 2022,” the department said in a statement on Wednesday.

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“The XBB.1.5 sublineage was first detected in October 2022, in the USA, and has since been detected in several other countries, with the first detection in South Africa from a sample collected late in December 2022.

“With the growing distribution of XBB.1.5, it was not unexpected that it would be detected in South Africa. XBB.1.5 has been shown to have a growth advantage in the USA compared to previous variants, which means it may outcompete other variants to become the dominant circulating variant in some settings.”

No changes

At this stage, the department pointed out, it is not known if the severity of the XBB.1.5 infection will be different to other Omicron sublineages.

“Due to the widespread circulation of other Omicron sublineages, and the overall high population immunity in South Africa, the introduction of XBB.1.5 in South Africa may not necessarily result in a large wave of infections.”

The department further urged the public not to panic over XBB.1.5 calling on citizens to vaccinate.

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“Currently, no changes to the public health response are required, and individuals are encouraged to receive SARS-CoV-2 vaccination and boosters, as recommended by the National Department of Health, because vaccination has been shown to reduce the risk of hospitalisation and death.”

The National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC) meet on Tuesday to discuss the developments around the new Covid-19 variant.

Government is also currently monitoring the global situation as more countries around the world impose new Covid-19 measures on travellers coming from China.

The measures were in response to a reported resurgence of the virus in the nation of 1.4 billion people.