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Fortune

Eleanor Pringle, Erin Prater

Meet the 'Kraken' COVID variant—the dominant new Omicron 'escape strain' experts say is the most transmissible yet

Omicron WHO Van Kerkhove CDC World Health Organization

(Credit: Fortune illustration)

Experts are eyeing the new Omicron strain XBB.1.5—dubbed "Kraken" on the Twitterverse—for its potential to cause the next major COVID wave, thanks to its "escape strain" properties and ultra-high transmissibility.

The World Health Organization's technical advisory group on virus evolution is working on a risk assessment on the variant—the most transmissible yet, Maria Van Kerkhove, technical lead for COVID-19 response at the World Health Organization, said at a Wednesday news conference.

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