wave to hit the UK is likely to be caused by the variant currently sweeping the United States, an official analysis has confirmed.
XBB.1.5, which carries mutations that make the virus bind more easily to human cells, making it more transmissible, has an estimated growth advantage of 38.87 per cent over current variants in the UK. A second new strain classed as a “designated variant” is CH.1.1, another sublineage of Omicron, which could be dominant in the UK in the coming months, the UKHSA said. However its estimated growth advantage is 21.56 per cent over current variants, so it will likely be out-competed by XBB.1.5.
The UKHSA technical briefing says: “The growth advantage associated with XBB.1.5. is biologically plausible given the combination of immune escape properties and ACE-2 [receptor binding] affinity that are expected based on available laboratory data.
Is that because the vax clearly didn't work?