Health experts still learning about omicron subvariant, now dominant in Northeast

Health experts still learning about omicron subvariant, now dominant in Northeast As a version of COVID-19’s omicron variant —the XBB.1.5 subvariant — grows more prevalent in some parts of the U.S., health experts say it likely escapes immune protection better than previous muta… kwadington The Hill

More than 80 percent of coronavirus cases in the Northeast are now due to XBB.1.5.

According to health authorities, XBB.1.5 appears to be the most transmissible subvariant of omicron that has been detected yet. The bivalent COVID-19 vaccine and antiviral treatments like Paxlovid and molnupiravir are still believed to be effective at treating the strain, though they may not be as effective when compared to previous mutations.

Physicians from across the Northeast who spoke with The Hill said they have not noticed a marked difference in disease severity among their recent COVID-19 patients.

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