What You Need to Know About HV.1, the Latest COVID Variant
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HV.1 is the newest COVID-19 variant gaining steam in the U.S.
Currently, the strain makes up nearly 20% of COVID-19 cases in the country.
HV.1 descended from Omicron and EG.5.
As we move into the thick of respiratory virus season, there’s a new COVID-19 variant to keep your eye on: HV.1. Cases of this variant are increasing at a rapid pace in the U.S., and it seems to be on track to replace the current dominant variant, EG.5.
Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that HV.1 surfaced in mid-summer, before cases began rapidly increasing in September. Now, the variant causes nearly 20% of all COVID-19 cases in the country.
But what is HV.1 and how worried about it should you be? Here’s what we know right now.
What is COVID-19 variant HV.1?
Like many COVID-19 variants that have surfaced recently, HV.1 is related to the Omicron strain, says Amesh A. Adalja, M.D., infectious disease expert and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. “HV.1 is another Omicron XBB variant that has descended from EG.5,” he says. Meaning, HV.1 came from EG.5, which came from XBB, which is a form of Omicron.
“It’s yet another Omicron variant,” says Thomas Russo, M.D., professor and chief of infectious disease at the University at Buffalo in New York.
HV.1 has several changes to its spike protein from EG.5, which is what SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 uses to latch onto your cells and make you sick, Dr. Russo explains.
How contagious is HV.1?
It’s difficult to say at this point. However, Dr. Russo points to its rapid rise (from 0.5% of cases in mid-July to nearly 20% of cases in mid-October) as an indication this variant is pretty contagious.
“HV.1’s most recent claim to fame is the rapidly increasing proportion of cases in the U.S.,” he says.
Should I be concerned about HV.1?
The experts we spoke with aren’t alarmed about HV.1 at this point. “It is important to recognize that there will always be new variants of SARS-CoV-2, just as there are with any other endemic respiratory virus and most will not be of concern to anyone,” Dr. Adalja says.
While HV.1 is “very transmissible,” it also doesn’t seem to be causing more serious disease than other variants circulating, says William Schaffner, M.D., an infectious disease specialist and professor at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. “I don’t think people should be very concerned about this,” he says.
How can I tell HV.1 apart from other variants?
There’s nothing overly distinctive about HV.1 that you would be able to tell from symptoms, Dr. Russo says. Basically, it has a similar look and feel to previous Omicron strains—it’s just specialized genetic testing that’s able to pick up the difference.
What are the symptoms of HV.1?
The symptoms of HV.1 are consistent with other COVID-19 symptoms so far, Dr. Russo says. According to the CDC, those include:
Fever or chills
Cough
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Fatigue
Muscle or body aches
Headache
New loss of taste or smell
Sore throat
Congestion or runny nose
Nausea or vomiting
Diarrhea
In general, HV.1 seems to cause more cold-like symptoms than anything, Dr. Schaffner says. “Some of the symptoms recorded have been cough, fatigue, congestion, and a runny nose,” he says. “That sounds pretty much like the common cold.” But, like all previous COVID strains, the severity of infection varies from person to person. So what may present as a common cold for you could be dangerous for someone who is immunocompromised.
Does the new COVID-19 vaccine protect against HV.1?
There’s not a lot of data available on HV.1 at this point. However, doctors say the updated COVID-19 vaccine is expected to help provide protection from this variant.
The updated vaccine is based on the XBB.1.5, and HV.1 is a “grandchild” of the XBB.1.5 variant, Dr. Schaffner says. “We anticipate that the vaccine will protect against serious disease caused by HV.1,” he says.
Does HV.1 increase your risk of long COVID?
That’s hard to say. “We don’t know at this point,” Dr. Russo says. “Unless HV.1 proves to cause more severe disease, it probably wouldn’t be any different from other Omicron variants.”
Data seem to suggest that people who have more severe COVID-19 infections are at a greater risk of developing long COVID, Dr. Russo says. “If HV.1 did cause more severe disease—and there’s no evidence to suggest that—it could increase the risk of long COVID. We have no clue at this point.”
Are there treatment and prevention methods for HV.1?
HV.1 is a rapidly increasing COVID-19 variant in the U.S., and it’s expected to become the most common variant in the country soon. While a lot is unknown about this variant, doctors say there’s no need to worry at this time. However, they recommend following the usual precautions like getting vaccinated, practicing good hand hygiene, and doing your best to avoid people who are obviously sick, to lower your risk of infection. If you’re concerned, using an N95 or Kn95 face mask may add protection.
“COVID is still with us,” Dr. Russo says. “If you develop symptoms, test yourself ASAP and contact your doctor if you’re positive. You may be a candidate for an antiviral medication.”
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