A new variant of Covid spreading in both the UK and the US has prompted an alert from health chiefs.
UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) bosses admit they do not know whether the mutated strain is more infectious or more deadly.
However, leading scientists remain confident that the darkest days of the pandemic era are behind us.
The new variant, dubbed FLiRT, is now being monitored. It currently accounts for about 30 percent of new cases.
FLiRT also accounts for about a quarter of new cases in the US, surveillance data suggests.
UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) bosses admit they do not know whether the mutated strain is more infectious or more deadly. The new variant, dubbed FLiRT, is now being monitored. It accounts for about 30 percent of new cases currently.
It comes as Covid cases continue to slowly rise across the UK, after infection rates fell during the spring. Virologists use the term FLiRT to describe a family of different variants: KP.2, KP.3, JN.1.7, JN.1.1 and KP.1.1.
ONS data on Covid infections today shows that more than 80 per cent of Brits suffer from a runny nose when infected. Loss of taste or smell, one of the original telltale signs of the virus, accounts for just under a fifth of all recorded symptoms.
It comes as Covid cases continue to slowly rise across the UK, after infection rates fell during the spring.
Virologists use the term FLiRT to describe a family of different variants: KP.2, KP.3, JN.1.7, JN.1.1 and KP.1.1.
They are all descendants of the JN.1 variant that has dominated the UK in recent months. That same thing was nicknamed Juno.
They all appear to have independently detected the same set of mutations in the spike protein, which the virus uses to attach to humans and gain a foothold.
Some mutations make it easier for the virus to infect the nose and throat compared to other circulating variants.
The UKHSA said: “When a new variant appears on our radar, in the early stages it is often quite difficult to know whether the mutations provide any advantage to the virus.
“Genetic mutations happen all the time, and in some cases they are known to make a virus less transmissible or cause a milder reaction in people.”
Ministers have repeatedly said they will not resort to imposing lockdowns unless it is an apocalyptic variant.
A wall of immunity among the population, built by repeated waves of infection and vaccine rollouts, has given officials confidence to consign pandemic-era measures to history.
Spikes in Covid cases can still cause mass illness across the country, causing chaos in schools, health services and public transport.
The latest data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) shows that 1,985 Covid cases were recorded in the week ending May 7, up 25 per cent on the previous seven days.
However, this only reflects the fraction of society that is still testing and reporting results.
Once the worst of the pandemic passed, officials scrapped mass testing programs.
‘Positivity rates’, considered one of the best ways to track the size of an outbreak, also increased to 8.6 percent in the week ending May 5, an increase from 6.8 percent recorded the previous week.
Officials no longer track the prevalence of the virus in the same way as before, as part of the Government’s initiation of pre-Covid normalities.
Dr Mary Ramsay, director of public health programs at the UKHSA, said last week: “Once again, Covid cases and hospitalizations have increased this week, so now is the time to get the Covid vaccine. spring if you are eligible and have not already done so.
‘If you have Covid or flu symptoms, try to stay home as it helps protect others, especially those who are more vulnerable to these viruses.
“If you can’t stay home when you are unwell, consider wearing a mask.”
According to the American John Hopkins University, FLiRT does not appear to present any new specific symptoms.
The infectious period also remains the same as that of JN.1 and previous Omicron variants, the institution added.
There is currently no evidence that FLiRT is a greater threat than the dozens of strains that preceded it.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and PreventionThere is no reason to believe that it would also cause more severe illness than other strains.
Experts have long said that Covid is “on track” to become seasonal and even eventually become more of a cause of the common cold.
Other coronaviruses known to infect humans typically cause mild symptoms.
However, health officials continue to advise people with respiratory symptoms to limit their contact with vulnerable groups, such as the elderly, pregnant women and those with underlying illnesses, for fear of becoming seriously ill if they become infected.