“Kraken” in the Penza region
The Penza region recorded the first known infection with the Kraken subvariant of Omicron, XBB.1.5, as part of ongoing SARS-CoV-2 genome monitoring. National health authorities reported that genome sequencing data are uploaded daily to the VGARus database for tracking how the virus spreads at home and abroad.
Officials noted that Russia has built a broad range of Omicron variants, with BA.5 remaining the most common among them. The delta variant, once dominant in late 2021, is now seen only in isolated cases as of late 2022. Laboratories across the country continue to monitor the circulation of coronavirus variants, including in neighboring states. Genomic data are being fed into VGARus, which has already accumulated hundreds of thousands of sequences. More than 150 organizations participate in the nationwide sequencing effort.
Rospotrebnadzor communicated to the press that there are no current plans to impose restrictions following the emergence of Kraken as a new Omicron subvariant. In the Penza region, the first patient identified with Kraken was a 32-year-old resident of Penza who works at an administrative unit of a local industrial plant. The patient was not vaccinated and experienced a mild illness that resolved by early January 2023. As of mid-January, data showed widespread testing with hundreds of millions of laboratory assays performed globally to detect the virus in human samples.
What you need to know about “Kraken”
On January 11, officials published a frequently asked questions update about Kraken, clarifying that this new coronavirus type is a recombinant subvariant of Omicron. The agency explained that the virus’s mutations have increased its rate of spread compared with earlier strains, even though Kraken does not appear to be more virulent or harder to carry than other Omicron subvariants. Transmission remains similar to other respiratory viruses, primarily through airborne droplets, with risk highest for children, older adults, and people with chronic conditions.
The authorities noted that Kraken could appear in Russia again, given open borders, regular air travel, and ongoing human movement. They stressed that most people have some level of immune protection and urged the public to maintain personal health precautions rather than fear new strains.
American subspecies “omicron”
On January 7, the World Health Organization Director-General described Kraken as first identified in the United States in October 2022, with tracking by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control confirming the timeline. A WHO expert described Kraken as highly contagious among currently known Omicron subvariants, pointing to mutations that help the virus attach to cells and replicate efficiently.
Experts noted that new waves of infections are possible worldwide, but the goal remains to prevent more deaths through existing countermeasures. Kraken’s spread has been particularly noted in parts of Europe, the United States, and several North American regions. A major daily publication highlighted that the XBB.1.5 subtype accounted for a growing share of weekly cases in the United States, rising sharply after the holiday season.
Analysts mentioned that Kraken is unlikely to dominate globally. Instead, multiple dominant lines may exist in different regions, each competing with others. A forecast suggested a typical wave pattern for Russia later in the season, unlikely to be driven solely by Kraken, but the situation would continue to be monitored as new data emerge.
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