Covid-19: Experts urge caution as Kraken rises

Kraken or XBB15 the latest descendant of the XBB variant of Omicron is said to be the most infectious and dominant of all COVID19 variants to date and has sent health experts into a tizzyThe variant has been detected in twentyeight countries of which the US Japan and Singapore are the worst affectedExperts have now called for Indian public health authorities to expand screenings at international airports and borders for XBB15 which has been named after the legendary sea monster due to its rapid transmissibilityThe spread of Kraken in a populous country like India can create new challenges for the already burdened healthcare system and timely screening detection and isolation will play a paramount role in preventing a new surge caution health experts New variant spread rapidlyDr Wiqar Shaikh professor of medicine Grant Medical College and Sir JJ Group of Hospitals expressed concern about the arrival of the variant as XBB has already been detected in India ldquoThe WHO has termed Kraken the most transmissible and most dominant COVID19 variant to daterdquo he saidDr Shaikh quoted an article published in the journal Cell on December 13 2022 which concluded that Kraken has the ability to evade both natural immunity as well as the protection provided by vaccines It also has the ability to reinfect people who have earlier suffered from COVID19 The article by researchers from Columbia University New York said that Kraken is a recombinant subvariant which means it is the result of fragments from two variants merging togetherAlso read Covid19 in China It is business as usual albeit with adherence to protocol say Indian studentsSpike in hospitalisationsDr Shaikh said that Kraken has spiked US hospitalisations by 161 per cent in the past week and accounts for 41 per cent of all COVID19 cases there According to the US Centre for Disease Control CDC Kraken comprised 75 per cent of all COVID19 cases in the Eastern US In fact it has spread to 29 countries including European onesDr Shaikh added that the symptoms of Kraken are similar to those displayed by people infected by previous COVID19 variantsmdashfever chills cold sore throat difficulty in breathing fatigue body ache headache loss of taste and smell nausea and diarrhoeaDr Shaikh also quoted from an article from the journal bioRxiv published on January 3 by researchers from Beijing University China which concluded that the ldquoenhanced transmissibility of XBB15 has the potential to spawn more dangerous variants of COVID19rdquo Another cause for concern is the fact that Kraken binds itself tightly to the cells it infects which means that the virus can easily replicate in the host Numbers speakDr Subhash Hira an infectious disease specialist and professor of global health at the University of Washington Seattle and member of several WHO pandemic panels said ldquoBy the end of December 2022 XBB15 accounted for 40 per cent of cases in the US It is a recombinant form of subvariant BA2 In the northeast region of the US New York New Jersey Maine etc about three out of four cases now are caused by XBB15 and it is spreading rapidly to South and North Carolina Hong Kong Singapore Japan South Korea India and 24 other countries have reported few cases among international visitors Deaths attributed to COVID19 increased by 15 per cent in the US in December However China continues to ignore global requests to report new subvariants beyond BF7 As in the US there has been a steady rise in hospitalisations in Hong Kong and Singapore So far the clinical illnesses are similar to those caused by the earlier subvariants and XBB15 is susceptible to vaccineinduced immunityrdquoDr Hira added ldquoAll travellers coming to India from affected countries should be strictly tested and genome sequencing should be made mandatory for early detection of the new variantrdquoSpread ten times fasterDr Hira added ldquoXBB15 is reported to be spreading almost ten times faster than the earlier BA2 and BQ1 subvariants in the US National governments across the globe are showing fatigue in keeping up with new mutants emerging almost every month Only time will tell what special mutations of XBB15 will do Meanwhile we should continue with masks sanitisation and physical distancingrdquoPoor data on vax protectionDr Ketan Vagholkar professor of surgery at DY Patil Medical College said ldquoXBB15 is being predominantly seen in the US and is spreading fast to other countries The data is insufficient to prove it is more lethal than previous variants Whether existing vaccines can render protection against this strain is debatable It is exhibiting the phenomenon of immune escape As a result neither previous infections nor vaccines will render any protectionrdquoDonrsquot panicDr Vagholkar added that a runny nose cough and feeling of congestion are the main symptoms ldquoThese symptoms are seen in people who have either suffered from COVID or have been vaccinated The symptoms are not severe as seen in typical flulike illnesses with highgrade fevers As yet data is inadequate to study the disease pattern exhibited by this new variant There is no need for panic Meticulous use of a mask is the best method of prevention If coldlike symptoms persist it is advisable to consult the family physician for guidance and treatmentrdquoVariant of concernDr Santosh Bansode consultant emergency medicine specialist said ldquoSince Omicron was labelled a variant of concern XBB15 is also a variant of concern As it is the most transmissible variant we might see an increase in the number of COVID patients in various countries where it is detectedrdquoBe alert and mask upldquoOmicron was not a deadly variant so we are not expecting serious patients because of XBB15 But we have to be careful about COVIDpositive patients who have travelled from affected countries If we see any such patient we must send their samples for genome sequencing The new variant can infect people who are fully vaccinated but symptoms will be mostly mild In India almost all are either vaccinated or have been infected so we already have some immunity and this will help us We will see mostly mild symptoms New variants will keep on emerging and we should never panic because of this We have to be alert and observe what is happening in other countriesrdquo Dr Bansode concludedDr Shaikh and other experts urged citizens to wear masks outdoors as well as maintain social distancing29No of nations where XBB15 has been detected