New COVID-19 Strain Emerges

Tom Pemrick Tom.Pemrick@coyotes.usd.edu

A new COVID-19 variant called XBB.1.5 surges on the East Coast. According to the World Health Organization, the variant is likely to be more transmissible than the previous variants due to its immune evasiveness.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that the new variant accounts for 43% of new cases, with most located in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.

While it is rumored that XBB.1.5 has likely made it to the Midwest, it’s unclear whether current hospitalizations are due to the novel strain. As of Jan. 18, the South Dakota Department of Health reported that there have been 12 deaths and 57 total