Frontiers in Virology (Jun 2023)

The emergence of the Omicron XBB.1.5 variant in India: a brief report on clinical presentation of a few cases

  • Jasmine Samal,
  • Arjun Bhugra,
  • Varun Suroliya,
  • Pramod Gautam,
  • Reshu Agarwal,
  • Chhagan Bihari,
  • Ekta Gupta

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fviro.2023.1158703
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 3

Abstract

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Despite the three years spent navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, scientists are still having to react to the disease due to the constant evolution of novel variants/subvariants. Over the last few months, a global plummet in COVID-19 cases has suggested we are transitioning towards endemic COVID-19. However, the new omicron offshoots (XBB variants) are driving a new surge of cases around the world. A few preliminary research findings suggest that the XBB.1.5 subvariant is more immune-evasive and displays higher binding to ACE2 human receptor than its other related omicron subvariants in circulation. In this first-of-its-kind report, we discuss a few XBB.1.5 cases and its clinical characteristics reported in Delhi State, North India.

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