Patient questions on Covid

Your patients may still ask a few questions about Covid and the recent variant. American Medical Association has provided a set if brief and lucid answers to the most common concrrns and or questions (Collated by CovidRxExchange)

1. Should I still be testing for COVID-19?
2. Is XBB.1.5 more transmissible? (Collated by CovidRxExchange)
3. Where is XBB.1.5 spreading?
4. Does XBB.1.5 evade immunity from (Collated by CovidRxExchange) vaccination or previous infection?
5. Does XBB.1.5 evade immunity from (Collated by CovidRxExchange) vaccination or previous infection?
6. Will the COVID-19 bivalent vaccine (Collated by CovidRxExchange) still offer protection from XBB.1.5?
7. Are COVID-19 treatments still effective for infections caused by XBB.1.5?
8. How can I protect myself from (Collated by CovidRxExchange) the XBB.1.5 subvariant?
9. What are the symptoms of XBB.1.5?
10. Is XBB.1.5 infection more severe (Collated by CovidRxExchange) than other COVID-19 variants?
11. What is the XBB.1.5 subvariant? (Collated by CovidRxExchange)
12. Why is XBB.1.5 nicknamed the Kraken?

https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/public-health/xbb15-omicron-subvariant-questions-patients-may-have

Summary
What is already known about this topic?

The SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.2-related sublineage XBB.1.5 is gaining predominance (Collated by CovidRxExchange) nationwide. Vaccine effectiveness against XBB and XBB.1.5 is unknown.

What is added by this report?

Using spike (S)-gene target presence as a proxy for BA.2 sublineages, including XBB and XBB.1.5, during December 2022–January 2023, (Collated by CovidRxExchange) the results showed that a bivalent mRNA booster dose provided additional protection against symptomatic XBB/XBB.1.5 infection for at least the first 3 months after vaccination in persons who had previously received 2–4 monovalent vaccine doses.

What are the implications for public health practice?

As new SARS-CoV-2 variants emerge, continued vaccine effectiveness monitoring is important. All persons should stay up to date with (Collated by CovidRxExchange) recommend COVID-19 vaccines, including receiving a bivalent booster dose when eligible.

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/wr/mm7205e1.htm