IRISH people are being warned about a new strain of Covid-19 as cases rise in the country.
The two new strains of the coronavirus, including a “super-contagious Frankenstein” variant, are rapidly spreading across Ireland and the United Kingdom.
The XFG variant, known as Stratus, is now the dominant strain in England, according to the data issued by the UK Health Security Agency.
And the strain now accounts for 10 per cent of weekly cases in Ireland, according to new data from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre.
The Health Protection Surveillance Centre recently reported 461 cases and 173 hospitalisations in the week up to June 28, both of which were the highest numbers of 2025 to date.
The new Stratus is understood to be more infectious than the previous Covid-19 strains due to mutations which help evade the immune system.
This can be seen in the UK Covid-19 cases, as it jumped from 10 per cent to almost 40 per cent three weeks later in the middle of June.
The new strain is a descendant of the already extremely virulent Omicron and is referred to as a “recombinant” or Frankenstein strain.
This indicates that it first appeared as a new hybrid variation after an individual contracted two Covid-19 strains simultaneously.
However, there is currently no evidence that Stratus causes more severe illness, and science shows that getting a Covid-19 vaccine is “very likely” to offer protection from severe illness and hospitalisation, according to Mr Young.
Speaking to the Mail Online, virologist Professor Lawrence Young from the University of Warwick said: “Given that immunity to Covid is waning in the population due to a decline in uptake of the spring booster jab and the reduction of Covid infections in recent months, more people will be susceptible to infection with XFG and XFG.3.”
“This could lead to a new wave of infection but it’s difficult to predict the extent of this wave.”
Last month, the World Health Organisation declared that the new strain is currently being monitored, which means that many health authorities globally have been asked to track the variant due to its increased spread.
SIGNS TO WATCH FOR
The symptoms of the variant are similar to other strains of the virus.
It includes shortness of breath, feeling ill or being sick, a loss or change to their smell or taste and a loss of appetite.
Some infections may show symptoms, such as nasal congestion, conjunctivitis, sore throat, headache, muscle or joint pain, skin rash, diarrhoea, chills, or dizziness.
If you are currently experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19 and feeling unwell, you are urged to stay at home until 48 hours after your symptoms are mostly or fully gone.
Avoid contact with other people, especially people at higher risk from Covid-19.
People are urged to call 112 or 999 if they are very short of breath and cannot complete a sentence.
