The first case of the XBB.1.5 "kraken variant" of COVID-19 has been detected in South Africa, researchers at Stellenbosch University stated. "No increase in cases, hospitalisation or deaths" has been registered in South Africa in connection with the new strain, Tulio de Oliveira, director of the university's Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation, wrote on his social media page.
So far, there have been no reports of significant differences in severity between the symptoms it causes and those caused by other coronavirus variants. However, it has been reported that XBB.1.5 exhibits signs of immunity escape, meaning it can evade immunity developed by vaccines or previously experienced cases of earlier COVID-19 variants.
Kraken has been detected in at least 29 countries, including the US, where it quickly became the dominant strain (rocketing from 1% to 41% of all infections between the beginning and the end of December), WHO says. It is still unknown if XBB.1.5 has reached China, which is facing an increase in infection cases after strict measures, which helped limit the spread of earlier virus waves, were relaxed.