Abstract: As the severe acute respiratory syndrome corona-virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continues to evolve and mutate, a variety of variant strains have emerged. XBB variant strains were firstly discovered in India on August 13, 2022 and have displayed the characteristics of rapid transmission, strong adaptability and immune evasion, and the variant strains have gradually become the most prevalent around the world. The pathogenicity, epidemiological characteristics and features of immue escape of the XBB variant strains as well as the effect of vaccines were summarized in the article, and coping measures for prevention and control of the XBB strains were proposed.