Photo: VCG

According to the monitoring data for coronavirus variants, China has found one XBB variant case domestically from December 1, 2022 to January 12, Chen Cao, a research fellow with the virology institute of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China's CDC), told a press conference on Friday.

China has monitored 33 imported XBB infections and its sub-branch from 20 countries and regions, showing the country is facing risks from imported XBB-related infections and sub-branch variants and related domestic infections. Currently, the XBB variant has not spread widely in China, according to Chen.

The main strains currently circulating in China are BA.5.2 and BF.7. The neutralizing antibodies produced by BA.5.2 or BF7-infected individuals remain at a high level in the short term, and offer better cross-protection against variants including XBB, China's CDC said in a previous press conference.

A new COVID variant known as XBB.1.5 is spreading fast in the US and threatening to cause further waves of infection. It's one of the latest descendants of Omicron, causing the number of cases in the US to more than double in a week at the end of December.

Global Times