During the final weeks of 2022 and the first weeks of 2023, the COVID-19 omicron variant XBB.1.5 has been making headlines.
Dr. Joe Kanter, Louisiana State Health Officer, joined WWL’s Newell Normand this week to discuss how this variant is expected to impact the New Orleans area.
“It’s really taken off sharply in the northeast of the country, New York, Massachusetts, Jersey,” said Kantor. “It’s clearly the dominant there.”
By New Year’s Eve, the variant was expected to become one of the leading causes of COVID-19 infection in the nation. According to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data projections, it is expected to make up nearly 28% of all cases by Jan. 23.
“It’s about 16 or 17% of our cases here,” Kanter said of the local situation. “But that number has gone up quickly over the past couple of weeks. And I fully expect within the next two or three weeks that it will be the dominant variant for us as well.”
He noted that XBB 1.5 appears to be more transmissible and that the World Health Organization believes it is the most transmissible variant of SARS CoV-2 yet. However, Kanter also said there is no indication that this strain makes people more ill than any other COVID-19 variant.
“It, thankfully, seems to be a good match for our protections,” as the New Orleans area enters into Mardi Gras season. Though he expects to see increased case numbers, Kanter said he doesn’t think XBB 1.5 will “change the game for us significantly.”
Normand and Kanter dive deeper into the latest COVID-19 news and what we can expect from the pandemic. Check out the whole episode here.
