Two new coronavirus variants have been discovered in the UK, according to health officials. The strains BQ.1 and XBB are being “closely monitored” but neither have been designated as “variants of concern”.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) revealed that 717 cases of the BQ.1 strain have been recorded across the country, while there are 18 samples of the XBB variant. The latter is believed to be behind a recent spike in cases in Singapore.
Dr Meera Chand, Director of Clinical and Emerging Infection at UKHSA, said: “It is not unexpected to see new variants of SARS-CoV-2 emerge. Neither BQ.1 nor XBB have been designated as variants of concern and UKHSA is monitoring the situation closely, as always.
