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The Conversation
The Conversation
Sameer Elsayed, Professor of Medicine, Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, and Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Western University

FAQ on COVID-19 subvariant XBB.1.5: What is it? Where is it prevalent? How does it differ from Omicron? Does it cause serious illness? How can I protect myself? Why is it nicknamed 'Kraken'?

Covid-19 Omicron Public Health Pandemic World Health Organization
XBB.1.5 is rapidly spreading across the globe and will likely become the next dominant COVID-19 subvariant. (Shutterstock)

Despite intensive public health efforts to grind the COVID-19 pandemic to a halt, the recent emergence of the highly transmissible, extensively drug-resistant and profoundly immune system-evading XBB.1.5 SARS-CoV-2 subvariant is putting the global community on edge.

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