BQ.1 and XBB variants will trigger a new round of epidemics? Chinese official: No increase in severe illness and death has been found

(Fighting against New Coronary Pneumonia) BQ.1 and XBB variants will trigger a new round of epidemics?

Chinese official: No increase in severe illness and death has been found

　　Chinanews.com, Beijing, December 20th (Reporter Li Chun) Xu Wenbo, director of the Institute of Viral Diseases of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said in Beijing on the 20th when talking about the new variant branches BQ. It has gradually been shown that they are dominant strains, mainly manifested by increased transmissibility and immune escape ability.

However, its virulence is not significantly different from other series of variants of Omicron, and there is no significant increase in severe disease and mortality in countries where BQ.1 and XBB are prevalent.

　　On the same day, the Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council held a press conference on medical services for key populations.

The current popular strains in my country are mainly BA.5.2 and BF.7. In response to the outside world's concern that the introduction of BQ.1 and XBB into China will trigger a new round of epidemics, Xu Wenbo pointed out that BQ.1 and XBB have actually been introduced into my country. In the past three months, it has been monitored that BF.7, BQ.1, and XBB have been introduced into my country, and more than 130 sub-branches of Omicron have been imported into my country.

　　He said that at the same time, these 50 subclades caused associated local cases or outbreaks, including BQ.1 and XBB. Among them, BQ.1 and its subclades were detected in 49 cases in 9 provinces, and 11 in 3 provinces. The XBB subclade was detected in the cases.

The entire BQ.1 and XBB have not yet formed a dominant spread in my country, but their spread advantage will gradually increase, and BA.5.2 and BF.7, as well as more than 50 other imported sub-branches, may form a co-circulation.

　　When talking about the prevention of BQ.1 and XBB, Xu Wenbo emphasized that the measures we take are to monitor whether there is any change in pathogenicity and whether there is any further mutation in the genome.

If there is any change in its clinical characteristics, we will link it with the genomic characteristics for research and judgment, but there are no reports of increased severe illness and death caused by BQ.1 and XBB at home and abroad.

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