As the federal public health emergency related to the COVID-19 pandemic expires on May 11, all eyes are on the omicron subvariant XBB.1.16, also known as “Arcturus.” Recently designated a variant of interest by the World Health Organization, XBB.1.16 has been detected in sewage samples from Hawaii and Kauai counties, as well as via genome sequencing in Honolulu and Maui counties. While the variant appears to have a growth advantage over other variants, health officials note it shows no signs of greater severity in populations.
According to the latest variant report, XBB.1.16 made up only 2% of variants circulating in Hawaii for test specimens from the two-week period ending April 8, while XBB.1.5 made up 86%. Health officials are recommending residents get the bivalent booster, specifically targeting omicron variants, if they have not done so yet.
Dr. Scott Miscovich of Premier Medical Group urges those ages 65 and older and immunocompromised individuals to get a second bivalent booster for additional protection. Additionally, those who have not yet been vaccinated can now receive the updated bivalent vaccine. Miscovich stresses the importance of boosters due to waning immunity and the more immune-evasive variants, with kupuna currently the most impacted.
While the official case counts in Hawaii are down from previous reports, Miscovich notes that the counts may be undercounted due to unreported home tests and people who no longer test at all when they have symptoms. The state’s average positivity rate remains at 7.9%.
In the U.S., XBB.1.16 is gaining ground, making up an estimated 10% of new COVID-19 cases, according to the CDC. As of Wednesday, there were 63 patients with COVID-19 in Hawaii hospitals, with five in intensive care. Six more deaths were reported in Hawaii, bringing the state’s COVID-19 death toll to 1,884.
To stay safe, health officials recommend continuing to wear masks, practicing physical distancing, and getting vaccinated or receiving boosters as necessary.
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