As new Omicron subvariant spreads, WHO backs mask wearing on long flights | 24CA News

Countries ought to think about recommending passengers put on masks on long-haul flights to counter the most recent Omicron subvariant given its speedy unfold within the United States, World Health Organization (WHO) officers stated on Tuesday.

In Europe, the XBB.1.5 subvariant of the virus that causes COVID-19 is being detected in small however rising numbers, WHO/Europe officers stated at a press briefing.

Passengers needs to be suggested to put on masks in high-risk settings similar to long-haul flights, stated WHO’s senior emergency officer for Europe, Catherine Smallwood, including: “This should be a recommendation issued to passengers arriving from anywhere where there is widespread COVID-19 transmission.”

XBB.1.5 — probably the most transmissible Omicron subvariant that has been detected to this point — accounted for 27.6 per cent of COVID-19 circumstances within the United States for the week ending Jan. 7, U.S. well being officers have stated.

It stays unclear if XBB.1.5 will trigger its personal wave of infections around the globe. Current vaccines proceed to guard towards extreme signs, hospitalization and dying, consultants say.

“Countries need to look at the evidence base for pre-departure testing,” Smallwood stated, noting it was essential to not focus completely on one specific geographic space.

If motion is taken into account, she stated, “our opinion is that travel measures should be implemented in a non-discriminatory manner.”

That didn’t imply the company advisable testing for passengers coming from the United States at this stage, she stated.

Measures that may be taken embody genomic surveillance, and focusing on passengers arriving from different nations so long as it doesn’t divert assets away from home surveillance methods. Others embody wastewater monitoring methods round factors of entry, similar to airports.

Concerns variant will result in soar in circumstances

XBB.1.5 is yet one more descendant of Omicron, probably the most contagious — and now globally dominant — variant of the virus that causes COVID-19. It is an offshoot of XBB, first detected in October, which is itself a recombinant of two different Omicron subvariants.

Concerns about XBB.1.5 fuelling a recent spate of circumstances in Canada, the United States and past are on the rise concurrently a surge of COVID circumstances in China, after the nation pivoted away from its signature “zero COVID” coverage final month.

According to information reported by WHO earlier this month, an evaluation by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed a predominance of Omicron sublineages BA.5.2 and BF.7 amongst regionally acquired infections.

Many scientists — together with from WHO — imagine China is probably going under-reporting the true extent of its outbreak.

More than a dozen nations — together with Canada and the United States — are demanding COVID exams from travellers from China.