KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The World Health Organization announced a new subvariant that has been found in 35 countries, including in the U.S. The XBB subvariant had a global prevalence of 1.3% as of October 27, according to the WHO.
A Knoxville woman and certified nurse's assistant, Jeannie Shipe, said she was concerned after learning about a new variant. She was previously diagnosed with COVID-19, and she said that she lost her senses of smell and taste.
"The worst for me was body aches and weakness," she said. "Throughout the years I've been a CNA, I said that if I ever came across something that I couldn't handle physically and mentally, or emotionally — I was done with what I was doing. And COVID about did it for me."
The subvariant makes up around 11% of cases across the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They also said most of East Tennessee was considered to have a "low" COVID-19 community level as of Dec. 1, including Knox County.
A local physician, Dr. Bill Smith, emphasized that the XBB subvariant does not appear to cause more severe illness. However, he said that the subvariant is able to better avoid antibodies from vaccines and boosters, compared to other COVID-19 variants.
"In this case, the antibodies do not appear to be as effective as they are against other variants of the virus," he said.
Shipe emphasized people to stay updated on COVID-19 variants and cases, so they could keep help their families safe.
"It's hitting family after family, whether they're vaccinated or whether they're not," said Shipe.