News
New Covid variant hits Asia
A new Covid variant dubbed ‘XBB’ is on the rise across Asia
A new mutation of coronavirus is now on the rise across Asia, as doctors rush to analysis its properties. It’s no surprise that new variants of Covid are surfacing around the world, that’s normal with any virus.
However, the newest strain of coronavirus, dubbed ‘XBB,’ is rapidly spreading across Asia. Doctors are increasingly concerned about its transmissibility and ability to evade current vaccines.
Currently, cases have been recorded in Bangladesh and Singapore. Doctors believe the XBB is a subvariant of the Omicron strain and could be the most immune-evasive form of the virus yet.
In the United States, the White House says it’s monitoring the situation closely, but are “confident” in vaccines.
“We are carefully monitoring the rise of several subvariants that are evolving rapidly and emerging around the world, including ones that evade some of our treatments.”
COVID-19 Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha, White House press briefing
It comes at a time when the world is beginning to scale back Covid lockdowns and restrictions, getting back to some sense of normality.