‘Evades protection’: Covid warning as ‘big wave’ of new subvariant emerging abroad

Now, it has become the dominant wave in Singapore, accounting for 54 percent of local cases during the week of 3 to 9 October. 

Prof Francois Balloux, Director of the UCL Genetics Institute, told Express.co.uk: “Singapore is currently experiencing a big wave of cases caused by the XBB lineage. It is relatively unlikely XBB will also become dominant in Europe, where BQ.1.1 is currently the most successful lineage.

“Singapore is unusual insofar as it experienced many Omicron BA.1 cases, whereas the bulk of Omicron infections globally was caused by BA.2 and its offshoots (which include BA.4, BA.5 and all other strains currently in circulation, such as XBB and BQ.1.1).

“People who got infected by Omicron BA.1 are less well protected against the strains currently in circulation than those who caught BA.2.”

XBB is considered one of the “new class” of Omicron variants that is quickly spreading, along with BQ.1.1, BQ.1, BQ.1.3, BA.2.3.20. 

Article source: https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/1685022/covid-waning-singapore-xbb-subvariant-omicron-vaccine