Quick Take
A social media post claims the omicron XBB variant has higher mortality than the delta. Also, the omicron XBB variant is five times more toxic than the delta variant. We fact-checked and found the claim to be Mostly False.
The Claim
A Facebook post claims that the new covid omicron XBB variant is not easily detectable. Also, the XBB variant is more dangerous than the delta variant.
Other social media users have shared the same post.
Fact Check
What is the omicron XBB variant of covid?
The omicron XBB variant is a hybrid having two different variants of BA.2 omicron. Recently, this variant has led to a surge in hospitalization in Singapore. As of now, no evidence describes any significant difference in the virulence compared to its parent lineage.
Does the covid omicron XBB variant has higher mortality than the delta?
We need more evidence. The available evidence does not confirm whether omicron XBB variant has higher mortality than the delta variant.
The University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) website informs that early analysis has shown that the hybrid variant is more transmissible than previous variants of Omicron. The hybrid variant also appears to cause less severe disease.
World Health Organisation has released a statement on the XBB variant to inform that further studies are needed. The available data does not inform about differences in the severity of the disease caused by XBB infections. Also, early research shows XBB has a higher reinfection risk in comparison to other omicron variants.
Singapore’s Ministry of Health (MoH) has released statements to inform that even though local cases driven by the XBB variant are high, the number of severe cases is relatively low.
In case of covid, it is often seen that the outcome of research papers is misinterpreted on social media. THIP MEDIA has previously fact checked another social media post which referred to a study that created a hybrid Covid virus risky.
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