🇦🇹 Representative genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in Austria week 2, 2023 across all regions. Current analysis includes samples until January 5th allowing faithful nowcasting. A collaboration of #AGES @agesnews and @IMBA_Vienna/@oeaw.
1/5
The variant situation for Austria changed dramatically between the years. While we had a swarm of lineages growing in numbers until Christmas, it is now just one lineage showing growth: XBB.1.5.
2/5
XBB.1.5 is a descendent of the strongly immune evasive recombinant XBB that now acquired a mutation improving binding to the ACE2 receptor on human cells and thereby infectivity. It is observed across Austria now. Nowcasting predicts it to be currently at ~8%.
3/5
Low numbers still make assessment of growth imprecise, but in alignment with international data we see roughly a doubling every week predicting this lineage to become dominant in February and in all likelihood subsequently driving a wave of infections.
4/5
The fraction of Influenza A positive Covid patients has fallen to just below 2% and might increase again with the end of the holiday season now.
5/5
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