The New Covid Variant Called "Kraken" and Why It's a Problem
A recent Covid variant, initially discovered last year, has quickly risen to prominence in the US and acquired a spooky name in the process. It spread quickly across the country and has now been found in at least 28 other nations, according to the World Health Organization, earning the moniker "kraken variety" from some. Is it riskier now? Is it more likely to spread? And how will it impact the Covid outbreak in China? The omicron XBB subvariant, which itself is a cross between the strains BA.2.75 and BA.2.10.1, is the ancestor of XBB.1.5. Since the WHO initially expressed worry about the original XBB version last October, it has already resulted in outbreaks of illness in nations like Singapore and India. Despite only making up 1% of all Covid cases at the beginning of December, figures from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveal that it quickly spread to overtake all other strains and account for 41% of infections by the end of the month. This number...