The Department of Health says the new variant of Covid-19 may not cause a wave of infections in South Africa.
A highly transmissible variant of XBB.1.5 was recently detected in the country.
According to the department, the symptoms of XBB.1.5 are similar to the previous Omicron variant and are similar to cold-like symptoms, such as runny nose, sore throat, cough and congestion.
‘Sub-variants of concern’
The new sublineage is now being monitored as a sub-variant of concern.
“The XBB sublineage has been shown to increase immune evasion compared to previous sublineages.
“Since its identification, the XBB sublineage has given rise to several other sublineages, including XBB.1, XBB.2, and XBB.3, which have spread 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 at the end of December 2022.
“With the wide spread of XBB.1.5, it is not expected that it will be detected in South Africa. XBB.1.5 has been shown to have a growth advantage in the US compared to previous variants, which means that it can beat other variants to become the dominant circulating variant in some settings.
Nothing has changed
At this stage, the department pointed out, it is not known if the severity of XBB.1.5 infection will be different from other Omicron sublineages.
“Due to the widespread circulation of other Omicron sublineages, and the high population immunity in South Africa, the introduction of XBB.1.5 in South Africa may not cause a large wave of infection.”
The department further urged the public not to panic about XBB.1.5 urging residents to get vaccinated.
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“Currently, no change in public health response is required, and individuals are encouraged to receive SARS-CoV-2 vaccination and boosters, as recommended by the National Department of Health, as vaccination has been shown to reduce the risk of hospitalization and death.”
The National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC) met on Tuesday to discuss developments regarding the new Covid-19 variant.
The current government is also monitoring the global situation as more countries around the world implement new Covid-19 measures for travelers arriving from China.
The move comes in response to a reported resurgence of the virus in the country of 1.4 billion people.