A new Covid strain has been identified by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) as a likely contender to become the most dominant across the UK.
The Orthrus - or CH.1.1. - strain is part of the Omicron variant and may already account for as much as 23 percent of all Covid cases in England. The UKHSA has said that this sub-lineage is primed to 'take over' from the current dominant strain, BQ.1, also an Omicron offshoot.
This Orthrus strain was first identified in November of 2022. It is thought to come from a similar lineage to that of the Kraken - or XBB.1.5 - sub-lineage.
