Omicron subvariant XBB.1.15 has remained dominant since January, but several other XBB offshoots may crowd out the strain over the next few weeks.
The CDC's variant proportion tracker estimates XBB.1.5 accounted for 88.3 percent of cases for the week ending April 8, with three other XBB relatives accounting for 9.4 percent.
The World Health Organization addedXBB.1.16 to its list of variants under monitoring March 22. The CDC is not yet tracking the newest omicron subvariant, though it has been spotted in at least 18 states. The strain is most prevalent in Southeast Asia and the Middle East, including India, where it has replaced other circulating variants.
XBB.1.16 and other XBB sub variants "are starting to crowd out XBB.1.15 in the U.S. without notable change in clinical outcomes," Eric Topol, MD, founder and director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute in San Diego, tweeted April 7, adding that is "likely the one to overtake in the weeks ahead" due to its growth advantage over other XBB relatives.
Two other COVID-19 updates:
Hospitalizations: Sixteen states have seen increases in COVID-19 hospitalizations over the last 14 days, according to CDC data tracked by The New York Times, which shows "the number of daily hospital admissions," or "how many patients tested positive for COVID in hospitals."
First evidence of COVID-19 virus crossing placenta: A new case study from researchers at the University of Miami offered the first evidence that the SARS-CoV-2 virus can cross the placenta and harm infants. The report found two infants born to mothers who tested positive for COVID-19 suffered severe brain damage. Neither of the infants tested positive at birth, though had detectable antibodies and increased inflammatory markers.