In a Threat Assessment Brief released today, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) assesses the overall level of risk to the EU/EEA associated with the spread of the Omicron XBB.1.5 SARS-CoV-2 sub-lineage as low for the general population.
XBB.1.5 is a sub-lineage of the SARS-CoV-2 lineage XBB, and is currently estimated to have a large growth advantage over previously circulating lineages in North America (109%) and Europe (113%).
As of 20 January 2022, the Omicron variant has been identified in all EU/EEA countries. From 20 December 2021 to 9 January 2022, there were 23 EU/EEA countries with adequate sequencing volume that reported an estimated prevalence of Omicron VOC of 69.4%.
From 20 December 2021 to 2 January 2022, there were 21 EU/EEA countries with adequate sequencing volume that reported an estimated prevalence of Omicron VOC of 46%.
ECDC has awarded more than 77 M€ to 24 EU/EEA countries to strengthen whole genome sequencing and RT-PCR infrastructures within the countries’ national public health programmes.
ECDC and the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE) have launched a number of activities to help strengthen EU/EEA Member States’ capacity for detection of SARS-CoV-2 variants in the shorter and longer term. These activities are one of five action areas of the ‘HERA Incubator’, a new EU bio-defence preparedness plan against SARS-CoV-2 variants launched by the European Commission on 17 February 2021.
ECDC monitors and reports on influenza transmission and virus circulation in Europe on a weekly basis throughout the flu season, in collaboration with WHO Regional Office for Europe, in the report Flu News Europe.
The case definition and case finding algorithm have been prepared for surveillance purposes only and they will be adjusted as the current avian influenza A(H7N9) situation develops.
On 13 November 2012, the Health Protection Agency published the whole genome sequence data from the second case of respiratory disease associated with a novel coronavirus who was hospitalised in England.