South Africa records its first case of most transmissible XBB.1.5 Covid variant

The World Health Organization has identified the XBB.1.5 variant of the coronavirus as “the most transmissible sub-variant” detected so far in the pandemic.

This variant, also known as the “kraken variant,” has quickly become the dominant strain in the US and has been detected in at least 28 other countries.

South Africa has reported its first case of a coronavirus infection caused by this variant, but there have not yet been any significant differences in severity identified between cases caused by XBB.1.5 and those caused by other variants.

The WHO plans to provide an updated assessment on the risks of the XBB.1.5 variant in the coming days.