Experts have warned Covid is 'not being taken seriously' after a huge surge of cases in the US. Almost half of new cases are thought to have been caused by a new fast-spreading Omicron subvariant - XBB.1.5 - which was behind 43 percent of cases in the US last week, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated.
The new subvariant is the most transmissible at the moment and can bypass some aspects of the vaccine and immunity provided by antibodies. However, experts have said booster vaccines are still protecting the public against the most severe symptoms, hospitalisation, and death.
The subvariant has been identified in more than 25 countries, including the UK, and has been increasing globally, according to the General of The World Health Organisation. Neil Sehgal, an assistant professor of health policy and management at the University of Maryland School of Public Health said that uptake for the most recent booster has been “pitiful”, The Express reports.
