A new variant of COVID-19 has emerged as the dominant strain circulating in the United States.
Replacing EG.5, known as Eris, and FL.1.5.1, referred to as Fornax, the HV.1 variant now accounts for over 25% of reported COVID cases in the U.S. Eris and Fornax contribute to 21.9% and 12% of all cases, respectively.
HV.1 first appeared on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s COVID variant tracker in late July, coinciding with the surge in cases. Despite the decline in COVID hospitalizations in recent weeks, HV.1’s presence has quietly and steadily increased.
How contagious is the HV.1 variant?
Some experts suggest that HV.1 may spread more easily than its predecessors and that it could potentially evade prior immunity, explaining its increasing prevalence across the U.S.
“I would expect a slight increase in transmissibility or immune escape, which is why it appears to be dominating,” says Dan Barouch, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Center for Virology and Vaccine Research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, according to NBC.
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Will HV.1 cause more severe infections?
So far, experts have not indicated that this latest variant has any unique qualities in terms of symptoms or severity. There is currently no evidence linking it to an increase in severe COVID infections.
Like the variants that have dominated in recent months, HV.1 is another descendant of Omicron. Given its similarities to XBB variants, which also stem from Omicron, experts have not expressed heightened concern about its potential to cause severe infections, at least for now.
Will the new COVID boosters be effective against HV.1?
The new Pfizer and Moderna COVID boosters were updated to target XBB variants of the virus. Since HV.1 appears similar to those XBB variants, experts suggest that the new shots will likely provide some added protection against the latest variant, especially for those who are more susceptible to severe infection.
However, the effectiveness of the boosters depends on their uptake, which has been poor in the weeks following their approval and rollout. According to the CDC, only 3.5% of the U.S. population has received the updated booster.
The CDC has recommended the updated shots for everyone aged six months and older.
