HEALTH experts yesterday said the country should be on high alert for the COVID-19 XBB variant that has been detected in over 88 countries and 46 states in the United States.
The XBB.1.5 variant, which is five times more virulent than past variants, has symptoms ranging from joint pain, headaches, pain in the neck, upper back pain, pneumonia, lack of appetite, sore throat, sneezing, cold, cough and hoarse voice.
In an interview, Medical and Dental Private Practitioners Association of Zimbabwe president Johannes Marisa said they were more worried about the variant, which is a sub-variant of BA2, formerly isolated in Botswana in 2021.
“We need to be alert as a country, suspected cases should be tested quickly and case management thoroughly done,” Marisa said.
“Not much information is available to show that it is more dangerous than the Delta variant. However, as an Omicron variant, it has higher transmissibility
“As a mutant strain, it can have chances to evade the immune system and if this happens, it would mean that everyone can be at risk despite the hybrid immunity, therefore, we should continue with genomic sequencing to scout for the XBB.1.5.”
Community Working Group on Health executive director Itai Rusike said: “The looming threat of a growing proportion of COVID-19 cases elsewhere due to XBB is a very worrying issue for our already overwhelmed public health delivery services, hence the need to expand efforts to increase our vaccination rates and national vaccine stockpile,” Rusike said.
Rusike emphasised the need for authorities to continue with awareness campaigns on exercising proper hand hygiene and use of alcohol-based hand sanitisers
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“With schools opening next week, there is need to strengthen the standard operating procedures for the safe reopening and operation of schools. The school health co-ordinators should be supported and trained so that they can carry out COVID-19 literacy programmes to learners, teachers and support staff,” Rusike said.
In the past, schools became COVID-19 hotspots.
According to experts, the new variant is more immune evasive and better at infecting than previous variants.
More than a dozen countries have imposed testing requirements on visitors from China, citing concerns about lack of transparency in Beijing’s infection data and the risk of a new variant of the virus emerging.
