A risk assessment released by the World Health Organisation (WHO) revealed over 30 countries, including the US and UK, have reported the new COVID variant. Should we be worried?
Addressing the new variant's emergence at a press conference on 29 March, Dr Van Kerkhove said:"This is the XBB.1.16. It's actually very similar in profile to XBB.1.5.How prevalent is it in the UK?
"So it does look like it will become the dominant variant at some point, but whether it will generate a further wave in infections and, if so, how big that wave will be, is not yet clear," he said.In the UK - as of 17 April 2023 - there were 135 XBB.1.16 sequences in the UK, with 120 in England, eight in Wales, five in Scotland, and two in Northern Ireland.
"Vaccination remains our best defence against future COVID waves, so it is still as important as ever that people take up all the doses for which they are eligible as soon as possible."As the first emergence of XBB.1.16 was more than three months ago, the WHO declared the level of risk regarding"growth advantage" as"moderate".
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