“In recent weeks, there has been increasing reports of hospitalization and health system pressure, particularly, in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere where respiratory diseases including flu are also circulating,” wrote WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in a Jan. 4, 2023 briefing.
“In recent weeks, there has been increasing reports of hospitalization and health system pressure, particularly, in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere where respiratory diseases including flu are also circulating,” wrote WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in a Jan. 4, 2023 briefing.
GENEVA — The World Health Organization is concerned about the new coronavirus variant XBB.1.5.
The variant discovered in October is more easily transmissible than any of the previously known variants, said WHO COVID-19 specialist Maria van Kerkhove in Geneva on Wednesday.
According to the available genetic analyses of the virus, it is spreading mainly in the US and Europe and has already been detected in 29 countries. It is a subgroup of the Omicron variant, which has been circulating since the end of 2021. A risk analysis is underway and will be published soon, van Kerkhove said.
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U.S. health authority the CDC has estimated that XBB.1.5 accounted for around 40.5% of all new infections in the U.S. in the week before the turn of the year.
“In recent weeks, there has been increasing reports of hospitalization and health system pressure, particularly, in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere where respiratory diseases including flu are also circulating,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.
In view of the coronavirus wave in China, the WHO continues to press for more information from the Chinese authorities. Tedros expressed understanding for countries, including in Europe, that have introduced testing requirements for travellers from China.
