This is not to scare, but to inform. Hopefully you are all still willing to stay informed. Any new variant, especially one that is this *contagious, has the potential to increase hospitalizations and/or deaths.
UPDATES ARE IN COMMENTS
Updates show the new variants/sub-variants still circulating, with URLs to many country's resources
Arcturus XBB.1.16
XBB.1.16, is a subvariant of Omicron and part of the new class of XBB subvariants. It is prevalent in India and made its way to North America and 20+ countries in the world thus far. We will all be seeing it soon.
*See US CDC chart below for the previous variant contagion (XBB1.5 from which this variant mutated...and the second pinned note)
“It does not appear to produce more severe disease, so for the moment it is a variant of interest and not a variant of concern,” said Amesh A. Adalja, M.D., at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. https://www.prevention.com/health/health-conditions/a43592554/arcturus-xbb16-new-covid-variant-what-to-know/
Main points
📌 Ability to avoid prior immunity from a previous infection due to spike protein mutation
📌 XBB.1.16 is likely to be more contagious than prior variants*
📌 XBB.1.16 likely to produce more high fever
📌 Coughing
📌 More conjunctivitis, and pink eye with inflammation of the insides of the eyelids
📌 Eyes that are itchy and red, esp.in children.
All or some of these symptoms are still as likely as before...
Most common symptoms of COVID-19 remain:
Fever or chills
Cough
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Fatigue
Muscle or body aches
Headache
New loss of taste or smell
Sore throat
Congestion or runny nose
Nausea or vomiting
Diarrhea
This chart shows the US variants of concern and how contagious XBB 1.5 is ... still. This new variant is likely even more contagious, but hopefully not as deadly as some predecessors. *The variant chart is updated in the comments or visit the CDC to keep track of variants in US HERE: https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#variant-proportions
*Scroll though updates to see the changes in the sub-variants chart in the last year. It will help give you an understanding of why our immunity wanes so much over time, and why boosters targeting the most virulent in circulation are still so important.
This is the Whitehouse answer to COVID (not that COVID gives a shit)
In closing, know that COVID will never care that the CDC or the Whitehouse or antivaxxers or hospitals and clinics and dentists declare it over, which nearly all have.
I will still be wearing an N95 mask whenever I leave the house and am with people I do not know... You?
UPDATE 18
As you look at the graphs above, please remember that they are weekly numbers and will look totally different on a data map. It would be wise to scroll down, find your state on the map, then see your local state numbers to give you a better idea of actual stats. (Cases, deaths, hospitalizations) where you live and how cautious you should to be. https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#maps_percent-covid-deaths
Sub-variant JN.1. is still dominating in the USA with an estimated 86.5% of the cases, with JN.1.13 estimated to be growing. This strain of Omicron has squeezed out most others at this point of time. The WHO still has it designated as a VOI - Variant of Interest; not a variant of concern; Globally, JN.1 is the most reported VOI (now reported by 115 countries), accounting for 90.3% of sequences in week 9 compared to 89.4% in week six. https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/covid-19-epidemiological-update-15-march-2024
USA: Please also keep in mind that the data update has a 2 week lag and is hindered by states not providing data, with many providing only weekly and even less so during the holidays. (Canada has the same problem and is having more reported problems than the US even with few Provinces cooperating) https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#variant-proportions To find data trackers for other countries and sewer collection data that is available, see update 4