RIYADH — Saudi Arabia's Public Health Authority (Weqaya) said that it had detected the XBB subvariant of Omicron in a limited number of positive samples. Weqaya's announcement came while confirming its continued monitoring of virus' mutants that cause COVID-19, as it noted that the sub-variant of Omicron BA5 and BA2 predominate in more than 75 percent of the positive samples. Monitoring operations for respiratory diseases are carried out continuously in the authority, Weqaya confirmed, noting that monitoring operations include identifying influenza strains in confirmed cases of infection. Weqaya indicated that influenza B virus represents the currently common type in Saudi Arabia, followed by influenza A virus subtypes H1N1 and H3N2. The authority confirmed that cases of respiratory diseases and seasonal influenza, in addition to COVID-19, gets active due to the entry of the winter season, explaining that the severity of symptoms for people varies from person to another based on their immunity. It stated that it expects that the cases of infection will increase during the coming period, stressing that everyone is at risk of infection, especially those who did not receive the vaccine. It also added that there is an increase in cases in emergency departments and urgent care centers throughout the Kingdom. "Everyone must complete their doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, the booster doses, as well as the seasonal dose of the influenza vaccine, especially for those who have risk factors for complications, such as: the elderly and those with chronic diseases." Weqaya urged the need to adhere to taking preventive measures against respiratory infection, which include washing hands continuously, wearing a mask in crowded places, as well as home isolation if the symptoms appear, and that in order to protect others from infection.
