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https://theconversation.com/the-kraken-covid-variant-xbb-1-5-is-rising-quickly-in-the-us-heres-what-it-could-mean-for-the-uk-197265>
"The heavily mutated omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes
COVID-19, was first detected in late 2021.
Due to the many mutations in the spike protein (a protein on the surface of
SARS-CoV-2 that allows the virus to attach to our cells) omicron was able to
quickly become the dominant SARS-CoV-2 variant. These mutations allowed it to
bind to respiratory cells more tightly than previous variants, rendering it
more infectious.
Owing to the dominance of omicron, thanks to these mutations, the past several
months have seen the emergence of many subvariants of omicron (scientists have
identified more than 650 to date).
The latest variant to worry health professionals and virologists alike is
XBB.1.5, nicknamed “kraken” by a group of scientists that has been naming new
variants after mythological creatures to make the virus’ evolution more
accessible to the public. Here’s what we know about it."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
