As new Omicron subvariant spreads, WHO backs mask wearing on long flights

Countries should consider recommending passengers wear masks on long-haul flights to combat the latest Omicron subvariant as it spreads rapidly in the United States, a World Health Organization (WHO) official said Tuesday.

In Europe, the XBB.1.5 subvariant of the virus that causes COVID-19 is detected in small numbers but is increasing, WHO/European officials said in a press briefing.

Passengers should be advised to wear masks in high-risk settings such as long-haul flights, said the WHO’s senior emergency officer for Europe, Catherine Smallwood, and added: “This should be the recommendation issued to passengers arriving from anywhere with widespread COVID-19 transmission. .”

XBB.1.5 — the most transmissible subvariant of Omicron detected so far — accounted for 27.6 percent of COVID-19 cases in the United States in the week ending January 7, US health officials said.

It’s unclear if XBB.1.5 will cause its own wave of infections around the world. Current vaccines continue to protect against severe symptoms, hospitalization and death, experts say.

“States need to look at the evidence base for pre-departure testing,” Smallwood said, noting the importance of not focusing exclusively on specific geographic areas.

If action is considered, he said, “my opinion is that travel measures should be implemented in a non-discriminatory manner.”

That doesn’t mean the agency is recommending tests for passengers arriving from the United States at this stage, he said.

Possible measures include genomic surveillance, and targeting passengers arriving from other countries as long as they do not divert resources from domestic surveillance systems. Others include wastewater monitoring systems around entry points, such as airports.

Variant concerns will lead to jumping in cases

XBB.1.5 is another derivative of Omicron, the most contagious – and currently globally dominant – variant of the virus that causes COVID-19. It is an offshoot of XBB, first detected in October, which is a recombinant of two other Omicron subvariants.

Concerns about XBB.1.5 causing many new cases in Canada, the United States and elsewhere are rising alongside a surge in COVID cases in China, after the country backed away from its last “zero COVID” policy. month.

According to data reported by the WHO earlier this month, an analysis by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention showed the dominance of the Omicron subline BA.5.2 and BF.7 among locally acquired infections.

Many scientists – including from the WHO – believe that China may have underreported the outbreak.

More than a dozen countries — including Canada and the United States — are demanding COVID tests from people traveling from China.