New Mutant Order of Coronavirus Detected in Arab Country
The Kuwaiti Ministry of Health announced on Wednesday the detection of a new mutation of the coronavirus, which was reported to have spread in countries such as the United States and Britain.
The emergence of the mutant (XBB.1.5) from the Omicron mutant strain in Kuwait “is expected and does not give rise to concern,” the Kuwaiti Health Ministry said in a statement, noting that signs of the epidemic situation in the country are stabilizing.
She reiterated the need to adhere to prevention guidelines, “especially in light of the preliminary information on the ease of transmission of this mutation, which has been discovered according to genetic analysis in more than 30 countries around the world since the beginning of its monitoring last October.”
“Genetic testing at the ministry showed that a mutant (XBB.1.5), belonging to a subset of the Omicron mutant, was detected from the coronavirus,” she said.
Data published in Britain in early January showed that the new mutator, which is very contagious, was responsible for one in 25 cases in the United Kingdom.
The new mutation sounded the alarm in the United States because it was spreading rapidly and causing an increase in injuries that require hospitalization.
In the United States, the new mutant is responsible for 4 out of 10 cases, up from 2 out of 10 about a week ago.
The new mutant is originally derived from the Omicron mutant, which began to spread in late 2021.
Currently available information indicates that the mutator (XBB.1.5) has mutations that cause people to become more infected than their predecessors and evade protection from vaccinations and previous infections.
