prof. Dr. Ali: XBB version 1.5 will roll out faster

SAFAKNA TURKEY – Faculty of Medicine of CHU Dean prof. Dr. Ahmet Alim made statements about the XBB 1.5 variant of the coronavirus that has spread in recent days. Saying that the “XBB 1.5” variant is now showing its effectiveness around the world, Prof. Dr. Alim said: “This is currently being considered as a sub-variant of Covid around the world. It is highly contagious compared to previous variants. It also quickly eludes elements of the immune system and antibodies. That is why it spreads very quickly among the masses in a closed environment. In the coming days, I think he will show his distribution a little more. But this is not like the previous options. The previous options were a little wilder. This option is a little cooler, a little better, and doesn’t drive people to the hospital too much. The hospitalization rate is much less. However, the incidence rate in society is much higher. Again, the most notable symptoms are coughing, weakness in the form of a cold, fatigue, malaise, fever, sore throat, and body aches. These are the main symptoms. Already, influenza and coronavirus are almost mixed in society. There is hardly a country in the world today that has not introduced the XBB 1.5 variant in the northern hemisphere. He took over all the countries. In our country, many cases of cough, sore throat and malaise are actually variants of “XBB 1.5,” he said. Emphasizing that the variant has a low risk of death, Prof. Dr. Alim said: “The risk of death in this variation is very, very low. So it’s not like the previous options. However, when we say “very, very low,” of course, the mortality rate can be high in people over 65, those who have had organ transplants, chemotherapy, and diabetes. The immune system is also very important. That’s why we say vaccination is mandatory, immunization is mandatory, we want people to be vaccinated. Again, with a vaccine, we can remove him from society. We can defeat him. Vaccination, mask, distance and hygiene are also very important factors. The vaccine supports the activity of the cellular immune system in our body. We always say this. “XBB 1.5” can bypass the immune system. However, it cannot overcome all immunity. To keep the immune system active, we must be vaccinated. Otherwise, we will not be able to immediately activate cellular immunity in the body. It takes some time. During this time, we can sometimes lose patients. This is why we must be vaccinated to activate the immune system, even if this virus eludes the immune system. Arguing that one should not stay in a confined space for too long, prof. Dr. Ahmet Alim said: “People should wear masks. Also, such people over 65 should not be taken indoors as often as possible. Even if we have to do this, hygiene and social distancing must be maintained. The mask and distance rules are important until we get through this winter,” he said.