On Friday 13 January, the ECDC updated its assessment of the SARS-CoV-2 variant of interest XBB1.5 and the implication of its spread for the European Union and the European Economic Area (see EUROPE 13095/17).
The ECDC emphasises that, in the context of the XBB.1.5 spread, the vaccines currently authorised in the EU remain effective against severe forms of Covid-19. The ECDC states that there are currently no estimates of vaccine efficacy and that there is evidence of a decrease in efficacy over time.
Furthermore, according to the ECDC, there are currently no indications that the severity of XBB.1.5 infection is different to that of the already circulating Omicron sub-variants.
For ECDC, no precise information is available as yet on the efficacy of therapeutics such as Nirmatrelvir/Nitonavir or Remdesivir for XBB.1.5, but the Centre expects that XBB.1.5 will be as susceptible to these antivirals as XBB.
Finally, mathematical modelling by the ECDC provides estimates of when XBB.1.5 could become dominant in the EU/EEA. The estimate puts this time at 1 to 2 months.
The ECDC puts forward a series of public health recommendations such as maintaining and improving the level of testing, good public health communication, improving vaccination rates, the possible temporary implementation of non-pharmaceutical interventions and the adoption of an infection control and prevention approach in health care.
More info: https://aeur.eu/f/4vy (Original version in French by Émilie Vanderhulst)