Two new and more infectious Covid variants are taking over in Australia
Two “nightmare” offshoots of Covid-19 are expected to supplant BA. 5 in Australia, with health authorities warning of a new pandemic wave. Here’s what you need to know.
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Another wave of coronavirus is taking hold in Australia according to health authorities, driven by two new variants of Covid-19.
The new variants, named XBB and BQ. 1, have been detected in New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia, with cases and hospitalisations rising after what had been months of declines.
According to the RACGP, Victoria’s hospitalisations increased by 20 per cent in the week leading up to 28 October, prompting a health warning for people to make sure they are vaccinated and boosted, wearing masks when necessary, and self-isolating when symptomatic.
The latest Victorian Chief Health Officer statement said: “Surveillance shows the … rapid growth of BQ. 1 and XBB in the past month, with a combined prevalence of approximately 10% in wastewater and clinical samples,’ the most recent Victorian Chief Health Officer update states.
“Continued growth at these rates would see these subvariants overtake BA. 5 as the dominant variant.
“The increase in cases and hospitalisations, combined with an increase in the PCR positivity rate and antiviral prescriptions [up 8% in the past week] … show we are at the start of another Covid-19 wave.”
“We will be closely monitoring the emergence of variants and other international and local data over the next seven to 14 days to assess growth potential of the new variants in the context of the NSW population immunity profile,” NSW Health said.
How are XBB and BQ. 1 different to previous variants?
The two new variants are thought to have a “growth advantage”, meaning rapid mutation and spread, but authorities are not sure if the cases are more severe compared to Omicron or BA. 5.
Overseas, the variants appear to be quickly supplanting BA. 5, despite its own growth advantages over previous strains such as Omicron.
BQ. 1 has been detected in at least 65 countries and is rapidly taking hold in Europe.
Researchers in Singapore have documented how the XBB variant quickly overtook BA.5 as the most dominant strain in just a few weeks, earning it the nickname of the “nightmare” variant.
Are XBB and BQ. 1 the same as or worse than Omicron?
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has not yet labelled either as a variant of concern, stating that they do not diverge sufficiently from other Omicron sublineages to warrant the designation.
“While so far there is no epidemiological evidence that these sublineages will be of substantially greater risk compared to other Omicron sublineages, we note that this assessment is based on data from sentinel nations and may not be fully generalisable to other settings,” according to a release from the WHO’s Technical Advisory Group on SARS-CoV-2 Virus Evolution (TAG-VE).
“The potential impact of these variants is strongly influenced by the regional immune landscape.
With waning immune response from initial waves of Omicron infection, and further evolution of Omicron variants, it is likely that reinfections may rise further.”
What the the symptoms of XBB and BQ. 1?
Symptoms common in XBB variant illnesses will be slightly different from those recorded in earlier outbreaks, but symptoms could also differ depending on vaccine status and immune system.
There isn’t available data to suggest that the XBB variant causes different symptoms from the Omicron variant, or triggers a specific subset of symptoms in average cases.
Cases that may be triggered by XBB and other Omicron subvariants may lead to any combination of known Covid-19 symptoms, including:
If you’re currently experiencing two or more of the following symptoms at the same time (especially if they feel severe!), you should Below are common Covid-19 symptoms associated with many of the Omicron subvariants currently in circulation:
- Fever and body chills
- Chronic fatigue and overall body aches
- Persistent headache
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Respiratory congestion, including runny nose
- Loss of taste or smell
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhoea
What is the treatment?
Seek out a Covid-19 test as soon as possible, self-isolate, and monitor symptoms for severity in case hospitalisation is needed.
Are XBB and BQ. 1 vaccine resistant?
The two new variants can more easily escape immunity from past infection and vaccination, but authorities still recommend getting vaccinated and boosted.
Australia will reportedly soon have some access to new bivalent vaccines that are slightly more effective against Omicron variants and sublineages compared to those that target the original Covid-19 strain.
Some Moderna bivalent vaccines will arrive before the end of the year, while the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has now also provisionally approved Pfizer’s bivalent candidate for use as a booster.
How worried should we be about more variants coming along?
Deakin University epidemiologist Professor Catherine Bennett said that Australians will have stronger hybrid immunity to new variants compared to when Omicron and Delta sparked major waves in 2021.
“More than half the population has been both vaccinated and had an infection, and that does put you in a more resilient position in when facing future waves,” she said.
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