A new variant of the virus that causes COVID has mutations that make it more transmissible, but vaccines are still likely to protect against severe disease
A new, rapidly spreading variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID, means a rise in new infections could be around the corner. And while it likely won’t skirt immunity completely, the variant could dodge some of our defenses thanks to a mutational boost.
Crucially, despite being a few dozen mutations away from the subvariant BA.5, which dominated last summer, XBB.1.5 is still a form of Omicron and not some completely new SARS-CoV-2 variant. It is also very similar to its parent lineage, XBB—itself a combination of two lineages descended from the subvariant BA.2 that dominated last spring.
The mechanism behind XBB.1.5’s increased transmissibility isn’t known for sure. But the subvariant’s F486P mutation allows the virus to more effectively latch onto ACE2 receptors in the body—“the doorway through which the virus gets into cells in our noses, throats and lungs,” Young says. “There has been significant confusion in the narrative of protection,” Sette says. “It’s relatively easy for a virus to mutate to escape antibodies because they are limited to a certain area of the virus’s spike protein. But what about cellular immunity? The mechanism by which T cells recognize the virus is completely different.
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