New omicron variant considered ‘most transmissible’ yet blankets Northeast

This colorized electron microscope image made available by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in November 2022, shows cells, indicated in purple, infected with the omicron strain of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, orange, isolated from a patient sample, captured ... more >A new coronavirus variant, considered the most transmissible to date, is ripping through the Northeast and could become dominant in the U.S. within days.

The XBB.1.5 strain is a recombined version of variants that spun off from omicron, the form of the coronavirus that caused havoc last winter.

This winter’s surge of COVID-19 is not as severe as previous ones, but XBB.1.5 is causing hand-wringing among…