Emergence of EU.1.1 COVID Variant in Multiple US States

The CDC is now tracking the EU.1.1 variant, a descendant of the XBB.1.5 variant, which is estimated to account for 1.7% of U.S. COVID-19 cases nationwide and potentially up to 8.7% in certain regions. It is unclear if EU.1.1 will cause new or different symptoms. Most variants in the U.S. belong to the XBB family, with XBB.1.5 being the largest at 27% of infections. COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths in Utah have slowed, and the FDA has recommended revising vaccines to target the XBB.1.5 variant. Moderna has submitted its revised vaccine for emergency use authorization, which is expected to provide protection against related variants as well.