https://www.today.com/health/coronavirus/new-covid-variant-hv1-symptoms-rcna124198A new COVID variant, HV.1, is now dominant. These are its most commonsymptomsAnew highly contagious COVID-19 variant called HV.1 is now the dominant strainin the U.S.What to know about transmission, symptoms, vaccines and more.
Nov.11, 2023, 7:33 AM AEDT
/ Updated Nov.15, 2023, 4:08 AM AEDT
/ Source: TODAY
By Caroline Kee
Ahighly contagious new COVID-19 variant called HV.1 is spreading rapidly acrossthe United States.
HV.1,which is a subvariant of omicron, is now the dominant strain in the country,according to the the U.S. Centers for DiseaseControl and Prevention.
Scientistshave been tracking HV.1 since the summer, when it was circulating at relativelylow levels. In October, HV.1 quickly gained speed and overtook other variants,including EG.5, aka Eris, tobecome the most prevalent strain.
Currently,HV.1 is responsible for nearly one-third of all COVID-19 cases in the U.S., per theCDC. The variant's rise to dominance comes as the country enters respiratoryvirus season and health officials roll out updated COVID-19 vaccines aheadof a potential winter surge.
Accordingto the CDC, HV.1 accounted for an estimated 29% of new COVID-19 cases duringthe two-week period ending Nov. 11. After HV.1, the next most common variant inthe U.S.was EG.5, which made up just under 22% of cases, followed by FL.1.5.1 or“Fornax,” and XBB.1.16 or “Arcturus.” (EG.5is still the dominant strain worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.)
Allof the most prevalent COVID-19 strains in the U.S. are offshoots of omicron,which first emerged in November 2021. The SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causesCOVID-19, is able to mutate and give rise to new, highly contagious variants.
However,health experts say there's no reason to panic about this new COVID variant.
After a late summer surge,COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations have been trending downward in recentweeks, according to CDC data. Additionally, the updated COVID-19 booster stilloffers protection against newer variants — although uptake has been verylow so far, TODAY.com previously reported.
Infectionsare expected to increase again this winter as was the case the past threewinter seasons, Dr. William Schaffner, professor of infectious diseases at VanderbiltUniversityMedicalCenter, tells TODAY.com.
AsHV.1 spreads, many are curious if the new subvariant is more contagious orsevere, whether it could cause different symptoms, and when they should get thenew COVID-19 booster. Here’s what we know about HV.1 so far.
Whatis HV.1, the new COVID variant?
HV.1is part of the omicron family. “You can almost think of HV.1 as a grandchild ofomicron,” says Schaffner. HV.1 is a sublineage of omicron XBB.1.9.2 and adirect descendent of EG.5, according to the CDC's SARS-CoV-2 lineage tree.
“TheCOVID family of viruses likes to mutate. We’ve all learned that by now,"says Schaffner. While HV.1 is mutated, it's still very close to the existingomicron subvariants, Schaffner explains.
Forthe most part, scientists are not concerned about new variants like HV.1, whichlook very similar to strains we've already seen before, NBC News reported.
However,there are a few highly mutated strains which have set off alarm bells. Theseinclude BA.2.86 or Pirola,which has an extra 36 mutations that differentiate it from XBB.1.5., and anewer variant called JN.1, which has one more mutation than Pirola.
Fortunately,neither BA.2.86 nor JN.1 are common in the U.S. right now, according to the CDC —JN.1 is so rare that it makes up fewer than 0.1% of SARS-CoV-2 cases.
Asfor HV.1, it rapidly gained steam after it was first detected this past summer.In late July, HV.1 accounted for just 0.5% of COVID-19 cases in the U.S., CDC data show. BySept. 30, HV.1 made up 12.5% of cases, and by November, it was the dominantstrain.
Is HV.1 moretransmissible?
“Oneof the characteristics of this entire omicron family is that they are highlytransmissible," says Schaffner. Sometimes, mutations can enable a newvariant to spread more effectively or quickly, per the CDC.
Rightnow, it appears that HV.1 could be slightly better at spreading from person toperson than previous strains, NBC News reported. The increased transmissibilityof HV.1 likely explains how it became dominant so quickly in the U.S., Schaffnernotes.
Itappears that HV.1 could also be slightly better at escaping prior immunity toCOVID-19, but not enough to cause alarm, Dr. Dan Barouch, director of theCenter for Virology and Vaccine Research at BethIsraelDeaconessMedicalCenterin Boston, toldNBC News.
Althoughit is more transmissible, HV.1 does not appear to produce more severe diseaseor lead to more hospitalizations, Schaffer says.
What are HV.1 symptoms?
Thesymptoms caused by infection with HV.1 are similar to those caused by recentvariants, says Schaffner, which include:
·Sorethroat
·Congestionor stuffiness
·Runnynose
·Cough
·Fatigue
·Headache
·Muscleaches
·Feveror chills
“Congestion,sore throat and dry cough seem to be the three most prominent symptoms rightnow,” says Schaffner.
Increasingly,doctors report that COVID-19 symptoms appear to follow a pattern of beingconcentrated in the upper respiratory tract, starting with a sore throat andfollowed by congestion or a runny nose, NBC news reported.
Coughingisn't typically a primary symptom, but it can persist. "The virus seems toproduce a kind of a chronic bronchitis, so that you can have a cough syndromethat lasts beyond the period where you’ve recovered from other symptoms,"says Schaffner.
Anothertrend is that COVID-19 seems to be causing milder infections, likely becausepeople have some prior immunity. “By milder, we mean it doesn’t requirehospitalization even though you can feel quite miserable for several days,”says Schaffner.
Do COVID-19 testsdetect HV.1?
AllCOVID-19 tests — including PCR tests performed by a health care providerand rapid at-home antigen tests — will detect HV.1, says Schaffner.
Testingis a crucial tool to protect yourself and others from COVID-19. The symptoms ofHV.1 and other COVID-19 variants can look very similar to other viruses,including respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), influenza and rhinovirus, whichusually causes the common cold.
"Theonly way to distinguish (COVID-19) from RSV and flu, both of which are nowgaining steam, is by testing," says Schaffner.
Expertsencourage anyone who has symptoms to get tested, especially those in high-riskgroups — people over the age of 65, who are immunocompromised or who haveunderlying health conditions.
“Wehave treatments that can prevent more serious disease," says Schaffner,but early detection is key. COVID-19 antivirals such as Paxlovid areeffective against HV.1 and other variants, but they work best when within fivedays of symptom onset, TODAY.com previously reported.
Testinghas significantly diminished in the U.S. in the last year, which isconcerning, says Schaffner.
Whenthe U.S.federal public health emergency for COVID-19ended in May, so did the guarantee of free testing for manypeople.
However,every American can still get COVID-19 tests for free or low-cost right now. Oneway is to order four free at-home COVID-19tests from the government, which will be delivered by mail viathe U.S. Postal Service. To order your free tests, go to COVIDTests.gov.
Inaddition, all health insurance plans are required to reimburse eight at-homeCOVID-19 tests per month, according to the Centers for Medicare &Medicaid Services. State Medicaid programs are also required tocover at-home tests, and Medicare beneficiaries and uninsured individuals canaccess free tests provided by Health & Human Services atthousands of community health centers, clinics and pharmacies.
Ifyou still have a stockpile of tests sitting around, remember to check theexpiration date and whether it's been extended by the U.S. Food and DrugAdministration.
Does the new COVID-19vaccine protect against HV.1?
The updated COVID-19 vaccine isrecommended by the CDC for everyone ages 6 months and older. It is now widelyavailable at pharmacies, doctor's offices and other locations around the U.S., saysSchaffner.
Thenew boosters have been reformulated to target omicron XBB.1.5, which was thedominant COVID variant for most of 2023. While XBB.1.5 has since been overtakenby HV.1, Eris, Fornax and Arcturus, it is still closely related to these newerstrains.
Theupdated vaccines seem to be well-matched to the variants currently circulatingand making people sick, Andrew Pekosz, Ph.D., virologist at JohnsHopkinsUniversity, previouslytold TODAY.com.
“Laboratorystudies indicate that the updated booster will protect against serious diseasecaused by HV.1,” says Schaffner. Vaccination also significantly lowers the riskof becoming hospitalized or dying, per the CDC.
However,only 23 million Americans or 4.5% of the population had received the updatedshots by Oct. 27, Reuters reported.
Thefirst phase of the new booster rollout hit several speed bumps, includingsupply delays, high demand, cancelled appointments and insurance obstacles.Some parents have been unable to get their kids vaccinated assome pharmacies and pediatrician's offices have struggled to secure enoughchild-size doses.
Althoughmany of these initial issues have been resolved, says Schaffner, uptake is stillslow. "We've underutilized this updated vaccine, and we anticipate thatCOVID will once again increase even more during the winter season," saysSchaffner.
It'snot too late to take advantage of the new booster, Schaffner adds, and peopleshould get the shot as soon as they can.
TheFDA has authorized three vaccine options for 2023-2024: one mRNA shot eachfrom Moderna and Pfizer, and a protein-based non-mRNA shot from Novavax.
Insuranceplans should cover the updated booster, says Schaffner, and those withoutinsurance should still be able to get the shot for free, according to the CDC.
“We’rein a good place because for a considerable time now, we have not had a newvariant that causes more severe disease or evades the protection of currentlyavailable vaccines,” says Schaffner.
How to protect yourselffrom HV.1
As the winter andholiday season approaches, it's important to take steps to protect yourselffrom COVID-19 and prevent transmission to others, especially the mostvulnerable. These include:
·Stayingup to date with COVID-19 vaccines
·Gettingtested if you have symptoms
·Isolatingif you are testing positive for COVID-19
·Avoidingcontact with sick people
·Improvingventilation or gathering outdoors
·Washingyour hands with soap and water frequently
·Wearinga mask in crowded, indoor spaces
