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Editor's Note As more new variants of Omicron emerge in some overseas countries, China has also detected BQ.1 and XBB from imported cases. How virulent are these strains? Will they cause new waves of infections? Here's what Chinese experts are saying. Q: What are BQ.1 and XBB variants? A: BQ.1 and XBB are new subvariants of Omicron, which have become dominant in Europe and the US for their increased transmissibility and immune escape capacity, according to Xu Wenbo, head of the China CDC's National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention. Q: Do the new subvariants have stronger pathogenicity? A: The virulence of BQ.1 and XBB are no different from other mutant strains of Omicron and rates of severe disease and death have not increased significantly in the countries where BQ.1 and XBB are prevalent, according to Xu. In the past three months, China has detected BF.7, BQ.1 and XBB from imported cases. But the BQ.1 and XBB have not yet commanded the field in China, where BA.5
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