The ‘Kraken’ COVID variant is in Charlotte. How contagious is it? What to know

A new COVID-19 variant, which scientists have nicknamed “Kraken” because of how contagious it is, has impacted Charlotte hospitals .

The new variant, XBB.1.5, accounted for 9% of cases sequenced in Mecklenburg County between Dec. 23-28, a the Mecklenburg County Health Department told The Charlotte Observer in an email.

The BQ.1 variant made up for the majority of sequenced cases during that time period, the health department said.

“XBB is present and is representing an increased share of the sequence results but other Omicron variants are still more prevalent in Mecklenburg County today,” the health department said in a statement. “We believe this will change and we do expect XBB variants will be detected more frequently in the future, based on what is being reported in other parts of the country.”

XBB.1.5 made up 43% of cases sequenced in the U.S. during the week ending on Jan. 14, up from 30.4% the previous week, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

COVID-19 cases in Mecklenburg County

There has been a slight uptick in COVID-19 cases reported in Mecklenburg County over the last few weeks.

There were 2,313 cases reported in Mecklenburg County from Dec. 25-31, up from 2,262 the previous week, according to the most recent data available from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.

Mecklenburg County is currently in code yellow or medium-level exposure for COVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention community levels transmission map.

Levels can be low, medium, or high, and are determined by the CDC community levels map that examines available hospital bed capacity, COVID hospital admissions, and new cases in an area to determine the severity of transmission.

RELATED: Charlotte in ‘code yellow’ for COVID exposure as cases rise. Wearing masks encouraged

Why is it called the ‘Kraken’ variant?

Ryan Gregory, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, coined the nickname “Kraken” in December, The Toronto Star reported.

Gregory told The Star the name of a mythological sea creature could better inform the public of new omicron variants, instead of the combinations of letters and numbers that have been used to identify them.

“It’s easier if they have a more recognizable name than just an alphabet soup,” Gregory said.

Why the XBB variant is more contagious

The XBB variant has mutations experts believe make it more transmissible, but vaccines are still likely to protect against severe disease, the health department said.

XBB has a reproduction number of 1.6, meaning every person infected by the variant will, on average, infect 1.6 other people, according to Scientific American, an online publication that covers research in science, health and technology.

What are symptoms of the ‘Kracken’ variant?

Similar to previous variants, no new symptoms are associated with the XBB.1.5 variant, USA Today reported.

Here are some symptoms of COVID-19, according to the CDC.

•Fever

•Chills

•Cough

•Shortness of breath

•Fatigue

•Muscle aches

•Headache

•Loss of taste or smell

•Sore throat

•Congestion or runny nose

•Nausea and vomiting

•Diarrhea

What precautions should Charlotte residents take?

There are no special precautions people should take based on which variants are circulating, but due to increasing cases of COVID-19, the Mecklenburg County Health Department recommends:

•Staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccines and boosters

•Maintaining ventilation improvements

•Avoiding contact with people who have suspected or confirmed COVID-19

•Follow recommendations for isolation if you have suspected or confirmed COVID-19

•Wash your hands frequently or use hand sanitizer

•Wear a high-quality mask or respirator when indoors in public

•Avoiding non-essential indoor activities if you are at high risk of getting very sick

•Staying home and taking a COVID test if you or your children feel sick. If you test positive, you should isolate yourself to prevent spreading infections to others.

RELATED: COVID-flu dual tests are available in Charlotte. Here’s where to get one.

©2023 The Charlotte Observer. Visit charlotteobserver.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.