Two new mutant strains of coronavirus have emerged in the UK with more than 700 confirmed cases of the BQ.1 variant detected, health officials have warned. Meanwhile, a further 18 cases of the so-called "nightmare variant" XBB have also been recorded across the country.
XBB spreads quickly and appears to evade people's vaccine protection. However one expert questioned whether it was a "nightmare variant" and said it appears to be "no different from the other new strains".
It is believed the variant may be behind the recent spike in Covid cases in Singapore. Neither of the Omicron strains BQ.1 or XBB have been listed as variants of concern by the UK Health Security Agency, The Mirror reports.
