After the implementation of "Class B and Class B control" for COVID-19 infection, with the change of exit and entry management policies, the public is worried that the Omikjon mutant XBB will soon spread in China. In this regard, at the press conference of the Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council held on August 8, Chen Cao, a researcher from the Institute of Viral Diseases of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said that the XBB series mutants have not formed a transmission advantage in China and will not cause a large-scale epidemic in China at this stage. "XBB series mutants are mainly prevalent in the United States, India, Malaysia, Singapore and other countries. As of January 7, 2023, the world has monitored its new sub branch XBB. 1.5 in 35 countries and regions." Chen Cao introduced that, from a number of research results, compared with the original strain, delta variant and several early discovered evolutionary branches of Omikjon, the immune escape ability of the evolutionary branch of XBB has been significantly enhanced, However, the pathogenicity did not increase significantly. According to recent data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, during the XBB epidemic, the number of COVID-19 infection, severe cases and deaths did not show a significant increase. Will XBB become the main epidemic strain in China? Chen Cao said that since August 1, 2022, China has monitored 16 cases of XBB associated with local people, all of which are evolutionary branches of XBB. 1, and mainly concentrated in October 2022. From this trend, XBB has not formed a transmission advantage in China. From the perspective of global prevalence, the evolutionary branches of XBB are imported into China and cause a significant increase in the risk of associated cases. However, Chinese people are generally susceptible to the series of Omicron mutants such as BA. 5.2, BF. 7 and XBB, and BA. 5.2 and BF. 7 occupy an absolute advantage. Recently, most people have been infected with BA. 5.2 or BF. 7, and the antibody produced in a short time has a certain protective effect on the XBB series mutants. Therefore, XBB series mutants will not cause large-scale epidemic in China at this stage. How to deal with the possible transmission risk of XBB series mutants? Chen Cao said that China has further strengthened the monitoring of COVID-19 mutants, continued to study and judge the global epidemic situation of XBB series mutants and the risks of their importation into China, carried out dynamic monitoring of the transmissibility, pathogenicity and immune escape ability of the new mutants in the international XBB endemic countries, and established targeted plans to deal with the epidemic. It is suggested that everyone should neither panic nor despise the mutation of COVID-19, but should be responsible for their own health and personal protection. At the same time, do not trust some unconfirmed network reports, and maintain a good attitude. (Outlook New Times)