New Omicron Subvariant XBB.1.5 Is More Likely To Infect Those Vaccinated

Inhabitants of New York City are being cautioned by health officials that the transmittable omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 may more likely to infect individuals who have previously been immunized or infected with COVID-19.

"Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 now accounts for 73% of all sequenced COVID-19 cases in NYC," the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene tweeted on Friday. "XBB.1.5 is the most transmissible form of COVID-19 that we know of to date and may be more likely to infect people who have been vaccinated or already had COVID-19." 

In order to safeguard ourselves against hospitalization and death, including those caused by novel variants of the virus, our department strongly encourages everyone to get vaccinated--and receive a booster shot.

In the United States, XBB.1.5 is responsible for almost half of all cases according to recent findings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

During the initial week of January, roughly 30% of cases were attributed to the subvariant.