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As winter officially begins in the United States, COVID-19 is multiplying across the country. Several variants of the virus are infections, however, two strains, HV. 1 and JN. 1, account for the majority of cases nationwide.
HV. 1, a highly contagious subvariant of omicron, currently occurs in about one-fifth of cases in the United States.
The HV. 1 variant has been circulating in the United States since late summer. In October, HV. 1 temporarily overtook other strains, adding EG. 5, also known as Eris, to the country’s main variant, according to the U. S. Centers for Disease Control. U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
HV.1 remained the dominant strain until mid-December, when it was overtaken by JN.1, which is an offshoot of BA.2.86 or Pirola.
During a two-week period ending on Dec. 23, JN.1 accounted for an estimated 44% of COVID-19 cases, followed by HV.1, which made up about 22% of cases, per the latest CDC data.
All of the COVID-19 variants that have predominated in the U. S. The U. S. population over the past year is a descendant of Omicron, which began circulating in November 2021. HV. 1 descends from EG. 5 and is very similar to its original strain.
The emergence of HV.1 demonstrates how the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19, is able to mutate and give rise to new, highly contagious variants.
Experts say the updated COVID-19 vaccines rolled out in September still offer protection against newer strains, including HV.1 and JN.1, but uptake has been low so far.
After a surge over the summer and a lull in the fall, COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are rising. Over the past two weeks, average COVID-19 hospitalizations in the U. S. have increased by 11. 5%, according to an NBC News study.
COVID-19 infections are expected to keep increasing this winter, as was the case the past three winter seasons, Dr. William Schaffner, professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, tells TODAY.com.
Respiratory virus season has not yet peaked in the U. S. In the U. S. , the COVID-19 surge comes as flu rises and RSV activity remains high in many places. Increased travel and indoor gatherings during the holidays will provide more opportunities for those viruses to spread, experts warn.
As HV. 1 continues to spawn infections, many are wondering if the new variant is more contagious or more severe than previous strains, if it causes other symptoms, and when they will receive the updated COVID-19 vaccine. Here’s what we know away from HV. 1.
HV. 1 is a component of the omicron family. ” You can almost think of HV. 1 as a grandchild of omicron,” Schaffner says. HV. 1 is a sublineage of omicron XBB. 1. 9. 2 and a direct descendant of EG. 5. according to the CDC’s SARS-CoV-2 lineage tree.
“The COVID virus family likes to mutate. We’ve all learned that now,” Schaffner says. Although HV. 1 is mutated, it’s still very close to existing omicron subvariants, Schaffner says.
For the most part, scientists are not concerned about new variants like HV.1, which look very similar to strains we’ve already seen before, NBC News reported.
However, there are a few highly mutated strains that have set off alarm bells in the past. These include BA.2.86 or Pirola, which has an extra 36 mutations that differentiate it from XBB.1.5, and a new fast-growing variant called JN.1.
JN.1 is a direct descendent of Pirola with one additional mutation, and it has quickly gained speed in recent weeks, overtaking BA.2.86. However, there’s no evidence that JN.1 is more severe and it does not present an increased public health risk, the CDC said in an update published on Dec. 8.
As for HV. 1, it has grown after its first detection last summer. At the end of July, HV. 1 accounted for just 0. 5% of COVID-19 cases in the U. S. According to data from the CDC. Al Sept. 30, HV. . 1 accounted for 12. 5% of cases and was the dominant strain until November.
“One of the characteristics of this full circle of Omicron relatives is that they are highly transmissible,” Schaffner says.
Just like other omicron subvariants, HV.1 is highly transmissible, Dr. Priya Sampathkumar, infectious disease specialist at the Mayo Clinic, tells TODAY.com.
Sometimes, mutations can enable a new variant to spread more effectively or quickly, per the CDC.
Right now, it appears that HV.1 could be better at spreading from person to person than previous strains, NBC News reported. The increased transmissibility of HV.1 likely explains how it became dominant so quickly in the U.S., Schaffner notes.
It also appears that HV.1 could also be slightly better at escaping prior immunity to COVID-19, but not enough to cause alarm, Dr. Dan Barouch, director of the Center for Virology and Vaccine Research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, told NBC News.
“The challenge is that people’s peak immunity has waned after outbreaks and our vaccination rate is still very low. . . it’s too early to draw conclusions about (avoided) immunity to HV. 1 after infection or vaccination,” Sampathkumar says.
Although more transmissible, HV. 1 appears to cause more severe illness or lead to more hospitalizations, Schaffer says.
An increase in COVID-19 activity is expected as it peaked toward the end of the summer and around the New Year, the CDC said.
What remains unclear is whether HV.1 could cause a major surge in COVID-19 cases in the coming weeks. “If there’s vast numbers of people getting infected, even if the disease for most people isn’t very severe, we will see an uptick in hospitalizations and deaths,” says Sampathkumar.
Health officials are intensively monitoring HV. 1, but low levels of testing make it more complicated, as it should be, to track new variants, experts say.
The symptoms caused by HV. 1 infection are similar to those caused by recent variants, Schaffner says, including:
Sore throat
Congestion or congestion
Rhinorrhea
Cough
Fatigue
Headache
Muscle aches
Fever or chills
“Congestion, sore throat and dry cough seem to be the three most prominent symptoms right now,” says Schaffner.
Increasingly, doctors report that COVID-19 symptoms appear to concentrate in the respiratory tract, starting with a sore throat and continuing with a stuffy or runny nose, NBC News reported.
Coughing isn’t typically a primary symptom, but it can persist. “The virus seems to produce a kind of a chronic bronchitis, so that you can have a cough syndrome that lasts beyond the period where you’ve recovered from other symptoms,” says Schaffner.
“I haven’t really heard of anything very different or any new symptoms that may raise alarms,” says Sampathkumar.
Another trend is that COVID-19 turns out to cause milder illness, likely because other people enjoy some prior immunity. “By milder, we mean it doesn’t require hospitalization, you would possibly feel quite dissatisfied for several days,” Schaffner says.
All COVID-19 tests (plus PCR tests done through a physical care provider and immediate at-home antigen tests) will find HV. 1, Schaffner says.
Testing is a very important tool to protect yourself and others from COVID-19. The symptoms of HV. 1 and other COVID-19 variants can be very similar to those of other viruses, including respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), influenza, and rhinovirus, which cause the usual cold.
There’s no way to distinguish those viruses based on symptoms alone, Sampathkumar says.
“The way to distinguish (COVID-19) from RSV and influenza, both of which are gaining ground, is through testing,” Schaffner says.
Experts take inspiration from symptoms or who has been exposed to get tested, especially those in high-risk groups: people over 65, immunocompromised, or with underlying health conditions.
“We have treatments that can prevent more serious disease,” says Schaffner, but early detection is key. COVID-19 antivirals such as Paxlovid are effective against HV.1 and other variants, but they work best when within five days of symptom onset, TODAY.com previously reported.
Testing has declined in the U. S. over the past year, which is concerning, Schaffner says.
When the U. S. federal public health emergencyAs the COVID-19-like U. S. pandemic ended in May, the guarantee of release also ended for many. Now, the rate of COVID-19 will vary depending on your health insurance plan.
However, each and every American can still request 4 at-home COVID-19 tests from the government, which will be delivered by mail via the U. S. Postal Service. U. S. To request your free tests, visit COVIDTests. passv.
Uninsured individuals may still be able to access free or low-cost tests through community health centers and participating pharmacies, per Health & Human Services.
If you still have a stockpile of tests sitting around, remember to check the expiration date and whether it’s been extended by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The updated COVID-19 vaccine is through the CDC for any child 6 months of age and older. It’s now widely available in pharmacies, doctors’ offices and elsewhere in the U. S. , Schaffner says.
The new boosters have been reformulated to target omicron XBB. 1. 5, which will be the dominant variant of COVID for up to 2023. Although XBB. 1. 5 has since been overtaken by HV. 1 and other variants, it is still very similar to those new strains.
Updated vaccines appear to be a good option for newly circulating variants that make people sick, Andrew Pekosz, Ph. D. , a virologist at Johns Hopkins University, previously told TODAY. com.
“Laboratory studies suggest that the current booster will protect against severe illness caused by HV. 1,” Schaffner says. Vaccination also especially reduces the risk of being hospitalized or dying, according to the CDC.
As of Dec. 15, about 18% of adults and 8% of youth in the U. S. The U. S. Department of Health and Human Services had received the new vaccine, according to the CDC’s most recent data on vaccination trends.
The first phase of the vaccine rollout faced several hurdles, including delays in sources, canceled appointments, and insurance hurdles. Some parents were unable to vaccinate their children early on, as some pharmacies and pediatricians’ offices struggled to get enough doses suitable for children. .
Although many of those teething problems have been resolved, Schaffner says, adoption remains slow. “We have underutilized this updated vaccine and anticipate that COVID will intensify further in the winter season,” Schaffner says.
It’s not too late to take advantage of the new booster, Schaffner adds, and other people are getting vaccinated as soon as possible. While other people get the COVID-19 vaccine, they also get the seasonal flu vaccine, Sampathkumar adds.
The FDA has authorized three vaccine options for 2023-2024: one mRNA shot each from Moderna and Pfizer, and a protein-based non-mRNA shot from Novavax.
Insurance plans should cover the updated booster, says Schaffner, and those without insurance should still be able to get the shot for free, according to the CDC.
“We’re in a good situation because we haven’t had a new variant for some time that causes more severe disease or escapes coverage from newly available vaccines,” Schaffner says.
As the winter and holiday season approaches, it’s important to take steps to protect yourself from COVID-19 and prevent transmission to others, especially the most vulnerable. These include:
Staying Up to Date on COVID-19 Vaccines
Get it if you have symptoms
Isolating if you are testing positive for COVID-19
Avoid contact with others who are sick.
Upgrade or collect outdoors
Wash your hands with soap and water
Use a in crowded indoor spaces
CORRECTION (Nov. 27, 2023, 10:30 a.m. ET): A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that insurance companies are still required to reimburse the cost of eight at-home COVID-19 tests monthly. When the federal emergency for the pandemic ended in May 2023, insurance companies were no longer required to do so. But some insurers are still reimbursing the cost of tests. Check your plan for more information.
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
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