New covid variant update as health bosses say 'avoid contact'

Government health chiefs have issued an update on the new covid variant believed to be behind the current surge in cases.

The variant KP.3 emerged in early April and belongs to a new group of Covid-19 strains, known collectively as FLiRT, which now make up a large proportion of cases.

As per the most recent figures, cases have jumped up by 12.2% in the space of a week, with 3,230 people having reported contracting the virus in the seven days up to June 26. This was up from 2,880 in the previous week.

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A new post from the UK Health and Security Agency's official X account on Monday prompts people to click its latest update on the new covid variant.

Part of the blog post it links to explains that it is "normal for viruses to mutate and change", adding that health chiefs are obtaining more and more data on the variant, to gain a "better understanding of how it interacts with our immune systems and how to optimise our protection".

People who become unwell are advised: "If you have symptoms of a respiratory infection, such as Covid-19, and you have a high temperature or do not feel well enough to go to work or carry out normal activities, you should avoid contact with vulnerable people and stay at home if possible."

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