New Covid-19 strain symptoms as 'highly contagious' variant spreads

-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)
-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)


The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has said it is “monitoring” a new highly contagious Covid-19 variant.

The new XEC strain is thought to be responsible for around one in 10 cases of the virus in the UK. The highly transmissible strain is thought to be so contagious due to the number of mutations it carries with experts believing it could become the dominant strain.

The health agency also warned that hospitalisations due to Covid-19 have seen a slight increase in recent weeks, and have urged people to take their winter booster vaccine.

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Earlier this month, the winter vaccination programme began in Northern Ireland, which offers flu and Covid vaccines to over a million people here before the end of the year, starting with those in care homes, who are some of the most vulnerable members of our community.

The autumn booster vaccine has been created to protect against the JN.1 strain, which is related to the new XEC variant. Vulnerable people are being urged to get their Covid booster jab this autumn amid concerns that this new highly contagious strain could become dominant. Health experts have said that the “rapidly spreading” XEC variant could lead to a spike in cases in the weeks to come.

Although it has a high transmission rate, it is believed that the booster vaccine should offer a “good level of protection” against XEC. This is due to the fact that the updated jab was intended to target the JN.1 variant from which XEC evolved from.

Symptoms of the new Covid-19 variant include:

  • A high temperature or shivering (chills) – a high temperature means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)

  • A new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or three or more coughing episodes in 24 hours

  • A loss or change to your sense of smell or taste

  • Shortness of breath

  • Feeling tired or exhausted

  • An aching body

  • A headache

  • A sore throat

  • A blocked or runny nose

  • Loss of appetite

  • Diarrhoea

  • Feeling sick or being sick.

Who is eligible for Covid-19 boosters in Northern Ireland:

  • All adults aged 65 years and over;

  • persons aged six months to 64 years in a clinical risk group, as laid out in the Immunisation Green Book COVID-19 chapter (Green Book);

  • pregnant women;

  • residents and staff in a care home for older adults;

  • frontline health and social care workers.

Further details on the winter vaccination programme can be found at www.nidirect.gov.uk/wintervaccines.

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