The case has been registered in the capital city of Sofia

The XBB.1.5 variant of COVID-19 has been detected in Bulgaria for the first time. That was announced by the National Center for Infectious and Parasitic Diseases. The case was registered in Sofia, the experts claim.

It is explained that this variant is being watched with caution by the World Health Organization because of its potential for accelerated spread and reduced neutralization by vaccine and natural immunity than the previous variants of the virus.

The center analyzed 87 clinical samples with SARS-CoV-2, which were taken from patients in the period December 9, 2022 - January 11, 2023. The samples were sent from 14 medical facilities from 10 regions around the country. Omicron was found in all samples.