A new Covid variant, which is spreading rapidly across the world, has been detected in the UK and is being described as ‘the “most transmissible yet”, a World Health Organisation (WHO) scientist has said. The deadly virus is already causing large numbers of hospital admissions in the UK - and the subvariant has reportedly been detected across the USA.
The highly infectious XBB.1.5 version is now causing around 70 per cent of new infections in US hotspots were it is spreading fastest, the Mirror reports. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has warned that winter illnesses, including flu and Covid-19, continue to circulate at “high levels”.
As a result, officials are urging people to keep children with a fever off school and are advising unwell adults to wear face masks to stem the spread of infections. It comes as pharmacists have reported shortages of common medicines for colds and flu including throat lozenges, cough mixtures and some pain killers.
