#17,230
The CDC has released their latest COVID Nowcast estimates, and we continue to see the meteoric rise of XBB.1.5, which is spreading most rapidly in the Northeastern United States, but would seem on track to become dominant nationwide in the weeks ahead.
XBB.1.5 in purple - Prevalence
We've seen a good deal of shuffling of numbers in the first couple of weeks since XBB.1.5 was added to the Nowcast, which often happens when a new variant arrives on the scene. As always, these are estimates - based on limited surveillance - meaning that they are most useful for spotting trends.
You can see the rapid grow of XBB.1.5 (in purple) in the following graphic. Former dominant variants BQ.1.1 and BQ.1 continue to yield ground to this new variant, which has been described as the most immune evasive seen to date.
It is worth noting, that of the 13 variants currently listed on the Nowcast, only XBB.1.5 is showing week-to-week gains.
We've looked at a number of risk assessments on XBB.1.5 (see below), and based on limited data, most agree that this variant may be the most transmissible we've seen to date, but there is not yet enough data to quantify its severity.
It is worth noting, that of the 13 variants currently listed on the Nowcast, only XBB.1.5 is showing week-to-week gains.
We've looked at a number of risk assessments on XBB.1.5 (see below), and based on limited data, most agree that this variant may be the most transmissible we've seen to date, but there is not yet enough data to quantify its severity.
ECDC: Impact of Surge in China COVID-19 Cases on Epidemiological Situation in EU/EEA
