Another Holiday COVID Surge In NJ? New Virus Strain Raises Concerns

NEW JERSEY — Several emerging strains of COVID-19's omicron variant have public health officials on notice. And they're circulating right around the winter holidays — a period that brought massive pandemic surges to New Jersey and the nation during the past two years.

The CDC revealed Friday that it's now tracking a new variant of concern: XBB, which sparked a vast swash of infections across several South Asian nations and makes up a portion of cases in the New Jersey area, according to the agency.

XBB is considered more immune-evasive than other omicron descendants and could evade key COVID antibody drugs. But the Biden Administration remains hopeful that the COVID wave won't be as deadly as last winter, thanks to a combination of immunity from vaccination and prior infection.

"I feel very confident that if people continue to get vaccinated at good numbers, if people get boosted, we can absolutely have a very safe and healthy holiday season," said Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House's COVID-19 response coordinator.

XBB makes up 3.1 percent of the nation's COVID cases, according to the CDC's latest estimates. The strain has been slightly more common in the New Jersey area, making up 5.3 percent of cases. (The CDC's most timely variant-proportion data is regional. New Jersey's region also contains New York, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.)

Health authorities continue to track new omicron variants across the country. Many evade the protection of antibody drugs offered to immunocompromised Americans, such as AstraZeneca's Evusheld.

But XBB doesn't appear more severe than other variants, Derek Smith, director of the Center for Pathogen Evolution at the University of Cambridge, told CBS News.

At this time last year, New Jersey's COVID hospitalizations surged to near-record levels, peaking at 6,089 patients on Jan. 11, according to state health officials. While Thanksgiving only just passed, the state's hospitalization totals have remained relatively consistent for much of the year, hovering between 800 and 1,200 COVID patients each day since July.

But this holiday season, there are new tools to combat COVID, including the updated booster and newly approved antivirals. Pfizer's bivalent vaccine looks to be effective at triggering better antibody responses against XBB, according to a preprinted study from the corporation posted earlier this month, which has not yet been peer-reviewed.

With several respiratory illnesses circulating, including the flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), state health officials recommend that people get their annual flu shot and COVID booster, when eligible.

"As New Jerseyans begin to gather with friends and family for the upcoming holidays, it’s important for everyone to continue taking the necessary precautions to keep themselves and their loved ones safe," Gov. Phil Murphy said in a statement. "Getting vaccinated when recommended, practicing good hand and respiratory hygiene, and staying home when sick are ways residents can work together to have a happier and healthier holiday season."