Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 makes up 43% of COVID cases in U.S. – CDC
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released its latest data on the prevalence of COVID variants Friday, indicating that immune evasive Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 has become the dominant strain in the U.S., accounting for an estimated ~43% of cases.
According to the CDC data available for the week ending Jan. 14, XBB.1.5 has outcompeted the previously dominant BQ.1.1 and BA.5 subvariants which made up ~29% and ~3% of cases, respectively.
Late last year, Pfizer (NYSE:PFE)/BioNTech (NASDAQ:BNTX) and Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA) won FDA authorization for their COVID-19 booster shots adjusted for BA.5 and BA.4 subvariant, which has almost zero prevalence according to the latest CDC data.
Other COVID-19 vaccine makers: Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) and Novavax (NVAX)
Makers of COVID-19 therapies: Pfizer (PFE), Merck (MRK), Gilead (GILD)
Studies have indicated that updated bivalent COVID-19 boosters have performed poorly against BQ.1.1, with even a weaker antibody response against XBB, the proportion of which is estimated at ~4%.
The CDC update comes as the FDA is set to convene a group of experts later this month to discuss how to update currently available COVID-19 vaccines and boosters to face a rapidly mutating virus.
This week, the Biden administration extended the pandemic emergency for 90 days amid fast spreading XBB.1.5 subvariant.