A Covid variant that has been dubbed the ‘real deal’ is now being officially tracked by World Health Organization (WHO) officials.
The Omicron spin-off — scientifically known as BA.X but yet to be officially named — has been categorised as a ‘currently circulating variant under monitoring’ by the UN health agency.
While only three cases of the variant, which was first spotted last month, have been detected worldwide, health chiefs are concerned about its catalogue of mutations.
Denmark and Israel are the only nations to have spotted it so far.
While it has not yet been detected in the UK, some scientists fear it has the potential to cause a ‘big wave’ and have called for the return of face masks to slow the spread.
In a flu and Covid surveillance report, the UK Health Security Agency noted that the prevalence of EG.5.1 had jumped to 25.7 per cent by the end of July (shown in green)
Alarm bells over the strain were first rung earlier this week, after a prominent online virus-tracker spotted two cases crop up in Denmark.
The discovery came just a day after the same lineage was detected in Israel.
Virologists know all three are the same virus because of the collection of mutations they carry. A process called ‘sequencing’ allows scientists to find the exact genetic make-up of every virus sample.
Early tests show BA.6 carries more than 30 mutations in its spike protein, the part of the virus that latches onto human cells and causes an infection.
This is the same piece of the virus that vaccines are designed to target.
Several have unknown functions but others are thought to help the virus evade the immune system.
However, it still remains unclear if it will succeed in spreading efficiently, or if it will just fizzle out like many other heavily mutated variants.
Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, an epidemiologist and lead for the Covid response at the WHO, said there is very limited information available on the strain but that it needs monitoring due to its large number of mutations.
Surveillance and sequencing is ‘critical’ to detect new variants and track known ones, she added.
Scientists yesterday raised the alarm about BA.X over its concerning catalogue of more than 30 mutations.
Professor Paul Hunter, a world-renowned infectious disease specialist based at the University of East Anglia, said it ‘probably’ is already in the UK or US if the strain is more contagious than existing variants. He added: ‘If it isn’t now, then it probably very soon will be.’
Some scientists have already called for the return of face coverings to slow the spread of the strain.
Dr Trisha Greenhalgh, an internationally renowned expert in primary care, based at Oxford University, yesterday tweeted that ‘it looks like it’s once again time to MASK UP’.
The professor, who is also a member of Independent Sage, a group of academics that called for No 10 to adopt an Australian-style Covid elimination strategy early on in the pandemic, acknowledged that she understood ‘little of the detail’, however.
Others, however, have warned it is far too early to panic and stressed that lockdown-era restrictions won’t be needed.
UK health chiefs have yet to make any formal announcement on the variant, which was first detected towards the end of July.
It comes as another variant Eris, scientifically known as EG.5.1, made up 25.7 per cent of all sequenced cases in England the week to July 30, health bosses confirmed today.
In a flu and Covid surveillance report, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) noted that the prevalence up from 14.6 per cent a fortnight earlier.
However, experts say it shows no sign of being more dangerous than the other strains circulating, including its ancestor Omicron.
Covid hospital admissions jumped in the week to August 13. There were 3 virus hospitalisations per 100,000 people in England, up from 1.2 per 100,000 four weeks earlier (thick black line with dots)
Admission rates jumped in all age groups apart from 15 to 24-year-olds. Levels were highest among the over-85s (32.6 per 100,000) and 75 to 84-year-olds (15.7 per 100,000)
Scientists have already called for the return of face masks because of the spin-off strain — yet to be officially named but dubbed BA.X. Others, however, warned it is far too early to panic and argued that pandemic-era restrictions won’t be needed. Covid hospitalisation rates are already starting to shoot up, sparking concern that the UK is on the brink of being hit by another wave
Omicron spin-off Arcturus — named XBB.1.16 — accounted for 30.1 per cent of cases, while XBB was responsible for 32.4 per cent and XBB.1.5 triggered 7.8 per cent.
Officials sequence around 240 samples from positive Covid tests every week to estimate the prevalence of each strain.
Earlier this month, the UKHSA declared EG.5.1 a new Covid variant, after it was first raised as a concern at the beginning of July.
World Health Organization (WHO) chiefs also added EG.5.1 to the list of Omicron variants under monitoring in July.
Meanwhile, Covid hospital admissions jumped in the week to August 13.
There were 3 virus hospitalisations per 100,000 people in England, up from 1.2 per 100,000 four weeks earlier.
Admission rates jumped in all age groups apart from 15 to 24-year-olds. Levels were highest among the over-85s (32.6 per 100,000) and 75 to 84-year-olds (15.7 per 100,000).
People attending emergency departments who were suffering a Covid-like illness also increased nationally.
However, intensive care admissions remained low and stable, the UKHSA said.
Dr Mary Ramsay, head of immunisation at the UKHSA, said: ‘The latest data shows that Covid cases continue to rise. To help combat the spread of the virus, we continue to advise that anyone with symptoms of a respiratory infection should try to stay at home and away from others — especially those who are vulnerable.
‘Hospitalisations are also increasing, but still remain at very low levels. ICU admissions have increased in this week’s report, but remain extremely low. We will continue to monitor these rates closely.
‘We urge everyone eligible to take up the vaccine when offered by the NHS this autumn.’
Despite the uptick in Covid, the Government has insisted it will never revert back to pandemic-era measures unless a doomsday variant emerges.
Experts say fluctuations in case numbers will happen forevermore.
Another round of the historic jab drive is set to begin in the coming months to protect those most at risk from serious illness.
The over-65s, care home residents and frontline NHS staff are among those who are eligible for an autumn booster.
Health chiefs have urged those included in the list to come forward when the scheme opens up. It found that those who had the jab last year were around 53 per cent less likely to be admitted to hospital with Covid.
Around 84 per cent of the over-80s had a top-up jab last autumn, compared to 73 per cent among those aged 65 to 70 and 40 per cent among those in their early 50s.
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